Sense of Purpose
by Prinzessin Mia
Summary: *Jack x OC; Gideon x OC* Jack Mitchell and Samantha Irons are best friends just trying to find a sense of purpose in their lives. They join Atlas after a tragic event that changes both of them drastically, unknowingly helping kickstart World War III. With the help of their friends and team, will they be able to stop what they've started?
1. Induction

**Title: Sense of Purpose**

**World: Advanced Warfare**

**Main Characters: OC (Sam), Jack M, Gideon**

**Pairings: Jack M x OC (Sam), Gideon x OC (Sam)**

**POV: First (Sam's), may switch**

**Rating: M for intense violence, blood, gore, strong language, alcohol use, adult themes, adult situations, and drug references. Read at your own discretion.**

**Author's Note: I got Advanced Warfare for Christmas, which I was excited and somewhat hesitant about. I'll admit, after Ghosts, I nearly gave up on the COD franchise. But after playing through the campaign— Wow! I'm in love with it (and Gideon *swoons*)! Seriously, how can you not love Troy Baker?! *Swoons again* It's exceeded my expectations and I've already beaten it a few times. I know I should be updating my other stories while I'm on Christmas Break but after playing AW, I just had to write this and put it up. I was really sad to see that there's only like a couple AW stories out there, which I'm hoping will change soon. My original idea was a tad different; to make it short, it would've been AW, with Jack Mitchell being a girl instead of a guy…But I figured adding an OC would switch things up a little and make it more interesting! I've written out a rough outline for this story, including a bio of Sam and everything from her appearance to relationships with others to her personality. I plan to give out little pieces of info at a time and not do the overused tactic of "hi, I'm blah blah blah, and I have brown eyes and long dark hair. I love shooting things and have a problem following orders." (No offense to anyone that does that!) Hopefully Sam isn't a Mary-Sue or too unrealistic or anything like that. If she is, please let me know! Anyways, I'd love to hear what you guys think of this story. It's gonna stick pretty close to the campaign the first few chapters, just to get things moving, but after that, I plan to add in some extra scenes and fluff moments. The romance in this story will NOT be a key thing— in fact, it'll be pretty small compared to my other stories. Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I also hope you'll enjoy this story. If you see any errors or things you think I can improve on, please let me know in a Review or PM so I can fix it ASAP! Remember, if this story isn't getting many views/reviews, it'll get deleted and will probably get lost somewhere in the countless other stories I've written on my computer. So be sure to give me some feedback! Love you guys! -Mia**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC, Samantha Irons. Everything/everyone else belongs to Sledgehammer Games, Activision, High Moon, Raven, and anyone else I missed. All rights go to their respective owners; I'm writing this purely for entertainment.**

**Warning: The following chapters contain spoilers for the game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Read at your own discretion. **

* * *

><p>Bullets rush past us, lodging themselves in the metal walls. Jack crouches beside me, using his good arm to raise the pistol. His aim is precise; he quickly kills three enemies in one clip. When he tosses the gun away, I wordlessly hand him another. He looks into my eyes, trying to mask the pain with a smile. For a moment I see my reflection. I see the ugly bruise that's formed, covering almost half of the right side of my face. Jack turns away quickly, like he can't stand the sight of me. I wouldn't blame him if he did.<p>

Gideon rushes over to us, sliding down to wrap his arms around my torso and legs. I groan as the sudden movement jerks my wounded side. He gives me an apologetic look before pulling me tightly to his chest. Part of my brain wants to blush at how close we are, but the rest of it is trying to numb the pain. _Mind over matter. _My eyelids become heavy as Gideon and Jack rush through the halls of the prison. Faintly, I can hear Gideon pleading with me to stay awake, to focus.

"Please, Samantha, we're almost there," he whispers. Gideon whispers more things to me that I can't comprehend. His words slur together, morphing into one big blob of nothing. His accent soothes me, only making my struggle to stay awake more difficult. My head is pulsing, like someone is drilling holes into it.

Gideon sets me down and I begin to protest, not wanting to be away from him. I think he even smiles, but it's gone before I can tell. He turns to Jack, who's anxiously waiting a few feet away. "Stay with the kid," he orders, waiting until Jack nods and moves over to me. I cringe at the nickname. I think he gave me the title just to remind and punish himself. _Typical Gideon._ Jack slides down next to me and scoots close, until I can feel his warmth against my side.

Jack waits until Gideon leaves to clear out the next room before pulling me under his good arm. "We're gonna be okay, Sammy, you'll see." This nickname makes me cringe as well, though the reasons are different and a tad more personal. "Just stay awake and help us make it out alive, alright?"

"Jack," I whimper, clutching to his vest.

"_You're nothing like Will."_

The simple and gut-wrenching sentence wasn't entirely aimed at me, but I still felt the sting as if it were. My vision blurs as tears fill my eyes, spilling onto my bloodied and beaten face. I cry for Will, Jack, Gideon, Cormack, and all the innocent lives ended because of one powerful man's misguided views. Jack comforts me as best he can with one arm while staying alert in case some Atlas soldiers stumble across us. My rifle is lying on the ground next to me, where Gideon left it.

"I love you, Sammy," Jack mumbles into my hair. "Shh," he whispers, rubbing my arm. His words only make me cry harder. After all I've done? After what I've turned into? After all the terrible things I've helped accomplish? He still loves me, through everything that's happened?

Gideon comes back then, breathless but still as enticing as ever. He takes in the scene before him and freezes for a moment, unsure of what to do. "We need to keep moving," he reminds us simply. Jack nods and peels himself away from me, scrambling awkwardly up onto his feet. Childishly, I wonder if he said that just to get Jack to move away from me. Gideon goes to crouch down but I hold up a hand, sleep no longer at the front of my mind. He pauses, cautiously watching my movements. My head pounds fiercely for a moment, but I fight through it. After a failed attempt to get up, Gideon holds out a hand, silently accepting my decision. Taking it, I ignore the rush of butterflies that tear through my stomach. With his help, I stand. My legs are wobbly at first, but after a moment I gain my balance.

"Are you sure about this, Sammy?" Jack asks in a worried tone, holding his good arm out like he's waiting for me to fall.

"Of course she is, rookie. She's tough," Gideon cuts in, grinning as he releases my hand. I watch as he grabs the rifle from the floor before handing it to me. Meeting his gaze, I'm briefly stunned by the intense emotions I see there. He believes in me, trusts me… _loves _me.

"_You're nothing like Will," _the fragment of a memory repeats.

Accepting the gun, I smile at the man before me. _You're right, _I think as I pull the hammer back. _I'm not._

* * *

><p>"<em>We come into this world with our eyes closed. And most of us choose to live our whole lives that way. We blindly follow anyone who will lead us, giving ourselves over to anything that provides us with a sense of purpose. For me, it was the Marines. I had enlisted six months ago with my best friends Will and Sam. Now we were half a world away, being deployed into South Korea. We were brothers in arms. No matter how bad it got, I could always count on them to keep me in line." – Jack Mitchell<em>

* * *

><p><strong>7 Years Earlier<strong>

**July 10****th****, 2054**

Will smacks Jack in the arm lightly, noticing our friend's expression. "Cheer up, Mitchell. It can't be that bad," he says happily. A smirk makes its way onto my face as I finish strapping up my gear.

Jack releases a held breath. "Guess it's just finally starting to sink in."

"Ah, this is what we signed up for," Will replies seriously. Straightening, I take a quick glance around, looking at all the men and women I've trained with. _This is it,_ I think, mentally giving myself the pep talk Will was giving Jack.

The tall man beside me shrugs. "Well, the old man was a leatherneck, so I didn't really have much of a choice."

All around us flows an electric buzz; everyone knows we're about to face the battle head-on. No turning back now. Murmurs and lighthearted conversation fills my ears and I breathe deeply. We're all in the same boat— sure, we've trained for ages, but nothing can truly prepare us for a _real _battle. Years of training means nothing to the enemy; it's up to us to make it out alive.

"Yeah?" Will asks in confirmation, drinking in the given info. Jack and I are similar that way— we both prefer to keep to ourselves. "We joined up because of the old man, too," he continues, reaching over to give my helmet a loving pat. "More just to get away from him, though," he adds with a laugh.

Mitchell lets out a chuckle before gazing at the gigantic hangar we're in. "Well you can't get much further away than this."

Will begins to say something but I shush him when Sergeant Cormack runs up to the front of our group. "Alright, alright! Listen up!" He shouts over the chatter, stopping all conversation immediately. He jumps on top of a few supply crates and faces us. His helmet light is on, illuminating his dark skin. "We have our orders— inserting at LZ Epsilon," he continues loudly. "Down and dirty, just like we taught you."

The platform below our feet jerks before lowering. "Everyone know what's going on?" Cormack asks as we shift in excitement and nervousness. "Everybody know where they're going?"

Tightening my grip on my gun, my voice blends with the others. "Ooh-rah!" We shout in confirmation. The kid next to me is fired up, nearly bouncing around in his spot.

"Everybody ready?" Cormack shouts, reminding me of my high school volleyball coach.

"Ooh-rah!" We respond as one.

He climbs off the crates quickly, waving his hand as the platform stops with a _thud! _"Let's do this! Mitchell, Irons, lead out!" For a split second, Will and I stop to glance at each other, wondering who he was talking to. Will shrugs, making me smile. Together, we follow Jack out, prepared for war.

"Let's get it done!" Will shouts in determination.

* * *

><p><em>"North Korea was invading Seoul. We had to push them back. This wasn't just a mission… It was an initiation."<em>

* * *

><p>With a shaky breath, I climb into the pod after Jack. <em>"All units, all units, this is Spaceman, commencing drop in one mike."<em>

"Badger zero-one, standing by," Cormack replies as we strap ourselves in. To my right is Will, with Jack on the other side of him. They give me encouraging smiles, which I return with a nod.

"_Copy," _Spaceman acknowledges over the radio. _"Dropping grid at three one five niner, repeat three one five niner, cross checked and verified."_

Cormack breaks the tense silence as Jackson, a friendly kid I'd met a few times before, finishes strapping in. "Everybody hold tight," he advises. "Here we go."

Over the radio, the Battle Commander briefs us on the situation. I look over and see Jack breathing deeply, obviously trying to get himself together. _Maybe he's having second thoughts, _I think to myself. If Will wasn't between us, I'd take his hand, reassuring him that everything will be fine.

"Just like in training, Mitchell," Will says comfortingly, giving our friend a small smile and nod. Jack nods quickly, his breathing a little easier now.

"_All pods ready. Five, four, three, two, one, deploy, deploy, deploy!"_

The screen above our heads flickers and flashes to life before turning into a window of sorts. My breath catches in my throat. I've never been a fan of heights. "Goddamn," Jackson says in awe and shock as pods get blown to hell right before our eyes.

Cormack shifts, visibly unsettled by the destruction around us. "Thirty seconds to insertion point!"

My eyes widen in terror as the clouds clear, revealing the city we're now plummeting towards. "Hey," Will says loudly, making me tear my gaze from the roof. "See you on the other side," he says, looking between me and Jack.

"Spaceman, I'm seeing heavy enemy fire in our drop path!" Cormack informs, clutching the handles tightly and staring at the roof of the pod.

"_Copy that, Badger zero-one, adjusting your trajectory," _Spaceman replies after a moment. He's too late, however, because a shell hits our pod just then. The door creaks before flying wide open. Jackson, the closest to the door, gets ripped out of his seat, nearly thrown out of the pod. He grabs the doorframe tightly as Cormack unstraps himself to get a farther reach.

"Hold on!" He shouts to Jackson as he grabs his hand. Will and I watch the scene in horror. "Mitchell," Cormack shouts, turning to look at Jack, who is directly across from him. "Close the blast shields!"

All around the pod, things are beeping and whirling in panicked tones. "Come on, Mitchell, _now!" _Cormack shouts impatiently, clutching his seat with one hand while helping Jackson inside with the other. "Mitchell, now!"

Jack hits the button and the door is closed. The noises around us stop and we watch with wide eyes as Jackson hits the floor before jumping into his gear. My eyes dart up to the roof, where the screen is flickering and blinking different colors. "Resetting drop point!" Cormack says, punching in some numbers. After a second, the lights turn green and the screen resets itself.

"Shit!" Jackson screams when the screen goes back to being a window. Our pod is quickly falling toward a skyscraper.

"Brace yourself!" Cormack shouts just as the pod collides with the building. We're tossed and jerked around in our chairs for a few moments, then the pod breaks away. My stomach drops when I notice the pod had ricocheted from one building to another. Our pod meets the unmoving building and we crash.

After a few moments, we get a hold of ourselves. I open my eyes, blinking away the shock and soreness. "You still in one piece?" Will asks Jack in concern. I can see him shaking slightly. Jack nods once before leaning against the chair, breathing deeply. "Sam, are you okay?"

I grab Will's outstretched hand and link my fingers with his. "I'm fine, Will," I say sternly, though my shaking fingers tell a different story.

"Mitchell, get the door," Cormack says breathlessly, struggling to get out of his harness. Across the pod, Jackson groans. Poor kid must've blacked out. Jack kicks open the hatch, stopping to stare in wonder at the city before us._ "Badger squad, the North Koreans have invaded the city and are pushing towards your position. Watch out for fire teams in your AO," _Spaceman says, breaking the silence. Cormack jumps down to the level below the pod. Undoing my harness, I make my way to the door. Jack smiles as I stand beside him. He grabs my hand and we jump to the ground together.

"Copy that," Cormack replies. "Eyes open, team."

Will is right behind us, followed by Jackson who nearly gets crushed by the falling pod. "Look out!" Will says quickly, grabbing Jackson's jacket to keep him from falling off the building. "Damn," he says, letting go and bringing his gun up.

"Okay, we need to get our feet on the ground and link up with Demo Team One," the Sergeant says, leading us through the apartment we crashed into.

"Yes sir," Will says with a grin. I roll my eyes at his antics, following the men.

Cormack and Will take cover on one side of the doorway, weapons pointing toward the open hall in front of us. Sliding to the opposite side, I raise my IMR and aim down the sights. "Contact, contact!" Will shouts as a few men rush forward, shooting wildly. Crouching, I steady my breathing and pull the trigger, effectively killing the two that tried to rush us.

"Clear."

Cormack advances, with Jackson and I bringing up the rear of the group. "Got a sheer drop on this side," Will says as we look over the railing. "There's a clear spot over here."

"Still afraid of heights?" Jack asks with a smirk, nudging me.

Grinning to hide my discomfort, I shrug. "Wouldn't make a difference if I was."

"We can always wait for you at the bottom while you take the stairs," Will suggests, laughing.

Cormack ignores our banter and looks over the edge. "Everyone get your boosters ready. Remember, short bursts to control your fall."

Smirking at Jack, I launch myself over the edge without hesitation. After falling for a few seconds, I activate the boosters, slowing my fall. Landing lightly on my feet, I grin as the adrenaline courses through me. "Everybody up?" The sergeant asks after Jackson— last, of course— hits the ground. "Command post should be up ahead," Cormack continues when he hears no objections.

"Show off," Will whines as I jog past him. When we step onto the busy chaotic street, I'm briefly overwhelmed. ASTs march by, pods land a little too close for comfort, and everywhere I turn I see shit being blown up. The bright flashy signs capture my attention momentarily before Jack pulls me toward the tent Cormack disappeared into.

"Who the hell are you guys?" A man asks in frustration as we run in. I read his nametag. Daniels.

Cormack leans in, gesturing to us. "Badger squad, 227th! Providing support for Demo Team One!"

Daniels steps back to check a monitor before replying, "they're already on the move! Thought you guys were fragged!"

"What's their position?" Cormack shouts over the blasts and shells landing around us.

"Two klicks northwest at grid seven seven five!" Daniels answers, pointing in the direction we should be going.

"Alright, we're moving, guys!" Cormack beckons, running off to our objective.

"_Badger zero-one, be advised: we are tracking a drone swarm heading your way," _Spaceman informs helpfully.

"Copy that," he responds. "Everybody keep your eyes open!"

We follow the Sarge through two hills of debris and dirt. Suddenly I'm yanked back by Will, who stares wide-eyed above us. "Watch your head!" He commands as a huge tank climbs easily over the gap before continuing on its way. "Holy shit," Will breathes.

Rushing forward, I slide to a stop behind a car. "Contact!" Jack shouts next to me as he begins firing at the enemy. Rising from my cover, I fire at the advancing enemy, stopping only when everyone is dead. My ears are ringing a little and adrenaline is pumping through my veins, but I come to the conclusion that I made the right choice when I signed up with Jack and Will. _I was born for this, _I think in a cocky manner, moving up between cars with the others.

"Here it comes!" Jackson shouts in a panic.

Cormack dives behind a bullet-filled car. "Swarm! Everyone get down!"

"Drones, drones!" Jackson repeats. _Jumpy in the field, much?_ "Holy shit!"

"Get to cover!" Will commands as Jack and I scramble to find a place to hide. "Protect yourselves!" He says just as the swarm goes flying by, shooting at us.

"Someone get on that turret!" Cormack orders, shooting at the swarm. Jack moves to stand up but I push him down.

Standing, I give him a look. "We both know I'm the fastest," I say before darting off toward the unoccupied turret. If Jack made a smart comment, I didn't get to hear it. Leaping into the seat, I grip like a kid on Christmas morning. Grabbing the handles, I aim at the Swarm.

"Keep those drones off us!" Cormack says in my ear. "Need to buy time for that EMP to charge up!"

"Roger that," I answer back, pulling the trigger. Drones drop like flies as they zoom around, unable to avoid the miniguns. Their bullets uselessly hit the shield of the turret, making a _ping! _sound every time one hit its target.

"EMP's at 50%!" Cormack informs as I continue to spray down the Drones. The crowd is thinning out and when the Sarge tells me to fire the EMP, there are only about a fourth of them left. They all fall to the ground simultaneously.

When I climb out of the turret, Jack is there to catch me. "Piece of cake," I grin cockily, patting him on the shoulder. He says nothing, shaking his head. We boost jump over some vans and hurry over to the hotel.

"Go, go!" Cormack encourages. "We need to push through this hotel," he says, running ahead.

As soon as we finish climbing the stairs, we're met with resistance. "Zipliners coming in!" Will shouts from the right. Crouching, I fire off a couple shots, reloading after the clip runs dry. Bullets fly past me, one even coming close to hitting my arm.

Jackson and I push forward, diving behind some couches to avoid fire. "Tossing a smart grenade!" I shout a moment before throwing said item. I watch it hover in the air, then zoom toward its victims at a fast rate. After merely minutes, the large room is cleared.

I walk over to Jack and Will, blowing a strand of dark brown hair out of my eyes. Cormack waves us over. "No time for a break, kids. We need to cross over this to the other side. Get your boosters ready." He shoots the glass, then runs out and hovers across the gap, landing unsteadily on the other side.

Jack and I stare in disbelief over the side of the building, looking at the very big drop. "You only live once," Will mutters before throwing himself into the air. He lands ungracefully in the other building, catching himself with his hands.

"You first, Sam," Jack nods.

Sighing, I narrow my eyes. "Scaredy-cat."

As I hover over the gap, I try not to focus on the drop, the height, or anything that could go wrong. Will waits with open arms as I land. "Whew," I breath unevenly, pushing myself out of Will's grip.

"Nothing like basic, huh, Mitchell?" Will asks rhetorically as I turn to see him land just behind us. We say no more, waiting for Jackson before rushing ahead to catch up with Cormack.

"This whole city's fucked," Jackson remarks as we come to another gap. I groan in annoyance.

"Secure that shit," Cormack barks. "Keep moving."

We descend and continue running through the trashed building. "Havoc launcher, dead ahead," Jackson comments, pointing at the giant aircraft in front of us.

"No shit," Will remarks sarcastically.

"That's our target," Cormack says, ignoring the men. "We need to find our demo team."

"They took out the whole street," Jackson gapes at the Havoc launcher flies away, leaving a huge hole in its wake.

Cormack continues ahead after taking in the scene before him. "The North Koreans are knocking out major roads. We're gonna have to get around this sinkhole to get to the commercial district." He jumps lightly off the edge and I gasp in shock, hurrying over the edge. The Sarge continues to make his way over the rubble and debris, oblivious to the height or possibility of death.

"Come on, slow poke," Will complains from behind me.

"Don't make me push you over," I threaten before landing simply on the ground below, with the help of the boosters.

"Demo Team One, this is Badger zero-one! Are you there, over?" Cormack asks, attempting to sync up with the other team. Climbing through what used to be a parking garage, I pause as a video feed appears on the top left of my eyewear. I take note of the Mobile Weapons Platform as the feed highlights specific things and rotates the image.

"—_hear you Badger zero-one! We are approaching the Havoc launcher position! Sending you vidlink coordinates now!"_

"Copy," Cormack replies. "We are receiving. We are proceeding on foot, ETA fifteen mikes."

The small screen changes to show a map. I nearly groan in frustration when I see how far away we are from the landing area.

"_Copy that!" _The Demo Leader replies over the radio. _"We are strongholding our position, over!"_

"Okay, let's hustle, Badger team," Cormack orders as bullets fly past us.

"Contact!" I shout, crouching instantly and aiming at the enemies across the sinkhole. Picking off a few of them, I let the others jump down first.

A moment after he lands on the ground below me, Jackson begins shouting, "drones! Drones!"

Glancing over the edge, I see drones fly up alongside a few enemies that are hiding behind a destroyed train car. "EMP incoming," I shout before tossing a grenade at the enemies. The drones fall to the ground and the men pause briefly, fighting the shocks and electricity that flows through them. Cormack and Will quickly take them down.

Twisting around, I fire on the surviving enemies across the way again. When they're all dead, I hear Jackson shout, "clear!"

"Through the train car!" Cormack orders as I rush to catch up. We advance quickly, but are forced to stop shortly after. "They're popping smoke! Toss a threat grenade!"

Jack pulls one from his vest and tosses it into the cloud. It goes off just as it hits the ground and the enemies are cloaked in red light. Firing through the smoke, we easily take down the enemies. _Where would I be without you, Exo Suit? _I wonder, lovingly patting the skeleton. Will gives me a weird look as he runs by.

With Will leading, we follow up the stairs, pausing only to wait for Cormack to point us in the right direction. "Shit," Will mutters sadly. "Bastards killed them all."

Jack stops beside me as I stare at the dozens of dead bodies that cover the ground like garbage. "Come on, Sam," he whispers, encouraging me to not look and continue with the mission. I try not to think of the broken families and ruined lives we're leaving in the other room.

"Stay focused. Nothing we can do for them now," Cormack says gloomily. We come to a halt at a closed gate. "Sam, get that gate open," he commands. Slinging my weapon over my shoulder, I jog past the crouched men. I place my hands on the metal bars and crouch, preparing to life the heavy object.

Suddenly, the ceiling on the other side of the gate blows apart, debris showering the ground. Two men follow a moment later, crouching and looking around quickly with their weapons raised. Taking a step away, I raise my own weapon and aim down the sights, preparing to shoot.

"Check fire! Blue, blue!" Will shouts, jumping in front of me and pushing the barrel of my gun down.

"ID yourselves!" Cormack says to the strangers on the other side of the gate.

A man with a beard and beanie steps forward, lifting the gate with ease. I watch as his muscles tense and flex at the effort. His friend stands at attention, weapon raised and eyes scanning the area for any threats. "Atlas PMC rescue force. We're transporting a principle," the man says with a husky British accent.

Two other men drop from the hole, one with his hands tied behind his back. I feel someone step up to my side, but I'm too busy watching the members of Atlas to register who it is. The man in the beanie walks up to Cormack. "How's the weather south side?" The Sarge asks, facing us.

Looking at me with unreadable eyes, the beanie guy responds bluntly. "It's a fuckin' mess. Better odds taking the east tunnel out."

"Copy that," Cormack says, nodding his head in thanks.

Beanie guy tilts his head, almost like he's analyzing me. The person beside me shifts uncomfortably and I realize it's Jack. "Good luck," the Atlas member says, finally taking his gaze off of me. "Let's move!" He shouts to his team.

"On me," Cormack says a moment later. We run past the Atlas team as they head the way we just came. But before we turn the corner, I sneak a look back at the strange yet familiar soldiers. To my horror, beanie guy is watching us leave as well. After a moment, he smirks and gives me a two-fingered salute before turning to catch up with his team. Releasing a shaky breath, I fall in step beside Jack, who looks uneasy.

Trying to get rid of the odd feeling in my stomach, I push beanie guy's alluring voice from my mind— a difficult task. "Atlas," Jackson repeats from the front. He turns to Will, who's mounting the stairs beside him. "Isn't that your dad's company?" He asks.

Jack glances at me out of the corner of his eye and I shrug. "Yep," Will says shortly, not wanting to talk or even think about our dad. _Some things never change, _I mentally sigh.

Jackson, however, doesn't seem to take the hint. "They've got the best gear, the best pay." He pauses, looking from me to Will. "Why'd you guys never join?"

Remaining silent, I let Will answer, knowing his reasons are different from mine. "We wanted to serve our country, not our old man," Will responds with a chuckle.

_Do I have to remind you who it was that made it possible for us to be together, in the same damn squad? _I want to scold. My little brother may think joining the Marines gets us away from Dad, but what he doesn't realize is that Dad was the one who got us this position in the first place. "Cut the chatter," Cormack whispers, crouching behind a sign. "Patrol. Drop 'em."

Crouching, I aim, and fire, instantly killing one of the enemies with a headshot. The others quickly take down the remaining targets. We advance, moving up the street.

"More coming in!" Jackson shouts as enemies file out into the street, firing at us.

"Check the buildings!" I warn, picking off a few on the second level. Will and Jack disappear inside the building to the right as I stay back, providing suppressing fire for Cormack and Jackson.

Tossing a few Smart Grenades, I reload and run up, ducking behind cover. Steadying my breathing, I aim for the man using the turret. Two shots later, he's down, allowing Jackson and Cormack to continue their advance. Jack and Will make little work of the enemies hiding in the buildings, and soon we're standing in an empty street.

Making our way onto the next street, we hide behind cover as bullets rain down on our position. Will tosses a Threat Grenade, which Jack helps by tossing a few Smart Grenades. _"Badger, where the hell are you? We're getting torn up! Need fire support—" _Demo Leader shouts over the radio.

"Demo Team One! Come in!" Cormack shouts when there's no response. "Shit, we gotta move!" He says, running up to a car for cover. Eyeing a piece of scaffolding, I boost jump on top of it, quickly laying down and picking off enemies.

When the area is clear, I jump off the scaffolding and rejoin the others on the ground. We rush through the bar, stopping as we reach our destination. "We need to get eyes on the Demo Team. Mitchell, over here," Cormack says hurriedly. Jack takes the binoculars and crouches down.

Doing the same, I stay back, scanning the area. "There's the Havoc launcher," Cormack states. "Demo team should be nearby."

I find the team a split second before the others do, briefly bowing my head in respect. "Over there," Will says, pointing in their direction. "Shit, they're KIA," he mutters.

Looking up, I see everyone turn to Cormack, waiting for further orders. "Okay, okay," he says shakily, trying to formulate a plan. "I can see their explosive packs. We can still do this."

Jackson shifts uncomfortably. "But sir, we aren't a demolitions team—"

"No, we're not," Cormack agrees. "But we wait for another demo team, and that launcher is going to move position."

Will stands, a determined gleam in his eye. _Oh no. _"I'll get the charges, sir. Just give me cover."

Cormack gives him doubtful and hesitant look. "You sure, Will?"

My brother nods, straightening. "Yeah. I can make it, sir."

Needing no further encouragement, Cormack nods. "Okay. Mitchell, you're with Irons. Sam, Jackson and I will cover your movement."

Standing, I quickly cross the distance between my brother and I. "See you on the other side," I mumble as I bring him into a tight hug. This very well could be a suicide mission— he knows that. But, like he said, he wanted to serve his country. Who am I to stop him?

"Sure thing, Sammy," Will grins, patting my helmet and kissing my forehead. I give Jack a hug, too, which he awkwardly returns. "Let's do this!" Will shouts as he and Jack jump off the side of the building, using boosters to soften their fall.

Throwing myself to the floor, I quickly aim and pick off the guys on the roofs and balconies. Beside me, Jackson and Cormack provide covering fire. Reloading, I watch as the men below us advance on the deceased Demo Team. Jack grabs the charges and they continue to make their way to the Havoc launcher.

"Will, that launcher is heavily armored," Cormack says over the radio. "You're going to have to find an access panel and plant the charges inside it."

"_Copy that, sir. Mitchell, on me!" _Will's voice fills my ear before it goes silent again. Adjusting my position, I take out the stray enemies that slip past Will and Jack.

"_We'll provide cover for as long as possible," _Spaceman informs as a plane zooms over Will and Jack's positions. I can only see a limited amount of things from my perch, making me want to jump off the building and get to a better vantage point. _"Cormack, that launcher is tearing us up! What's your status?" _Spaceman shouts as the plane goes flying backward, away from the launcher.

"Demo team is KIA. We are attempting to complete the mission ourselves," Sarge informs, filling Spaceman in. Drones come sweeping in suddenly, pinning Jack and Will down. With a few well-placed shots, some of the drones go down. The rest are fried by Jack's Smart Grenade.

They quickly clear the area and I jump down without hesitation. Using my boost jump, I make my way through the cars. Jackson and Cormack hit the ground behind me, telling me to slow down, wait, don't rush ahead. But I don't hear an order, so I ignore it. My eyes are locked on the Havoc launcher as it begins to take off, with Will and Jack still on its side.

Running as fast as my legs can take me, I scream at them to jump off. I watch Will push Jack off the launcher with one arm as it continues to rise. A moment later, it explodes in the air, launching debris and metal everywhere.

"WILL!" I scream at the top of my lungs, already knowing his fate. Jackson grabs me, but I forcefully push him back, sending him into some crates. Cormack and I run to the explosion, looking for Jack.

"Mitchell? Mitchell!" Cormack shouts, being the first one to reach him. Jackson rushes up to the launcher, searching for Will. Sliding to Jack's side, I hold his face in my hands, my eyes widening as I see what happened to him.

"It's okay," I whisper against his chest. "You're gonna be okay. It'll be alright." At the end I can no longer contain my sobs. They tear through my body even harder when Jack's right arm wraps around me.

"Spaceman, Badger Two is down, I need immediate medivac," Cormack shouts into the radio, leaning over Jack.

Cormack pulls me up gently, helping me remove the giant piece of metal that's covering Mitchell's arm. He pauses, a look of fear and horror on his face when he sees the damage. "Stay with me," he demands, beginning to pull Jack away to a safer location. "You're gonna be alright."

My eyes fill up with unshed tears as Jack sees his left arm remain unmoving on the ground while Cormack drags him away. "We're gonna get you home," he tells Jack gently, trying to take his mind off the detached limb. Blood pools around the arm and flows freely from the stump, making me want to gag. As soon as I know Jack is safe, I turn and run to Jackson's side. Together we dig through the wreckage, searching for a sign of Will.

Just when I'm about to give up hope, we find a gloved hand. Jackson and I dig Will out of the debris, trying not to hurt him any further. My heart breaks as I take in my half-scarred brother, whose complete right side is charred and burnt. "Sammy?" He wheezes, coughing from the effort.

"Shh, Will. It's okay, it's okay," I soothe, helping Jackson get Will to a clear patch of concrete. Putting his head in my lap, I try to distract him. "Heh, mom always said your selflessness would be the death of you," I smile, trying to keep my voice from breaking.

"You're the selfless one, Sammy," Will weakly argues, coughing up blood onto our uniforms. "I… love you… yo—you know that, right?" He asks seriously, struggling to speak. "I know I never showed it as much as I should've, but—"

"Shh," I command gently, no longer bothering to hide the tears that now freely flow down my face and onto Will. "I know you do. I love you, little bro. With all my heart. Mom would be so proud of you," I give him another watery smile. "I'm proud of you too, Will."

Giving me one last grin, Will nods. "You've always been so level-headed. You take care of yourself and Mitchell, okay?"

"Don't talk like that," I snap angrily. "Don't think that way."

He closes his eyes after a moment. "It's okay, Sammy, I know what's gonna happen." He opens his eyes— our eyes, the ones we got from our mother— and forest green clashes with forest green. "See you on the other side, huh?"

A sob escapes my lips and I clutch tightly to Will, lashing out when a teary-eyed Jackson tries to get me off of him. The medivac comes a minute later, and I'm forced to let Will go. I kiss him lightly on the forehead, my tears dropping onto his scarred head.

Cormack puts a comforting arm around me as we fly away with Jack and Will. The doctors put up curtains so we can't see them anymore, which infuriates me. I need to see them; I need to know they'll be okay! Cormack orders me to remain where I am, which I dejectedly obey. I'm not sure I can handle seeing my brother so broken and destroyed. I don't think I can handle seeing him die.


	2. Change

**Aubrey1207: Thanks for your review! I'm glad you like it! And don't worry, you aren't! Gideon is just amazing. The accent, the hair, the badass-ness… ahh! *faints* I hope you'll like this chapter as much as the first one!**

**PFC. Awesomeness: You did? I'm sorry! *hides under hair curtain* I recommend you grab a tissue box for this next chapter then. Wow, only the first chapter and you've already got a preferred pairing? It's okay though, I'm rooting for them too, hehe. Thanks for the feedback!(:**

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favorites! It's because of you guys that this next chapter is out. With that being said, I'm extremely fucking nervous to see what you guys think of this chapter. In the campaign, Jack meets Jonathan Irons and accepts his offer to join Atlas in the same day, which totally doesn't feel right to me. It makes sense, sure, but I just didn't like how that played out. So Jack isn't going to accept right away, and that's where my own twist comes in. To be honest, I was kind of going for an Umbrella Cooperation type thing here and I either crashed and burned miserably, or did okay. So please let me know! I've edited this chapter a dozen times, which is ridiculous, since I rarely ever edit a chapter <strong>**_once. _****Hopefully it's alright. *Bounces leg uncontrollably in anxiousness* Well, without further ado, I present, _Change_****_. _Have a safe and happy New Year!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC, Samantha Irons. Everything/everyone else belongs to Sledgehammer Games, Activision, High Moon, Raven, and anyone else I missed. All rights go to their respective owners; I'm writing this purely for entertainment.**

**Warning: The following chapters contain spoilers for the game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Read at your own discretion.**

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><p>"<em>Why is one man spared, while another taken? To this day I couldn't give you an answer. But death comes for all of us, eventually. When you lose over six thousand men in four hours, it's easy for one death to become just another number. But all I knew was that my best friend was gone, and that part of me wished I had been taken instead. The dead— they've settled their debts. It's up to the living to pick up the tab." – Jack Mitchell<em>

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><p><strong>July 24<strong>**th****, 2054**

"And so it is time to say farewell to Private William Robert Irons, a man I had the privilege and honor to have under my command. A life is only important in proportion to its impact on the lives of others. By this standard, Private Irons ranks among one of our very best."

Sergeant Cormack glances over at Jack and I, who stand stiffly beside Will's casket. While the people in the small crowd weep openly, we struggle with our grief on the inside. Instead of letting the pain overtake us, we shut it deep inside ourselves and bottle it up. On the outside, we look like detached, wounded Marines— robots.

"He leaves behind family, friends, fellow Marines, and a grateful nation," Cormack finishes, bowing his head respectfully before stepping away from the closed wooden box. I watch with empty eyes as an older gentleman stands, strides to the casket, and places his hand on it for a few moments. When he walks by, my father meets my gaze. _I did it, _I cry hopelessly on the inside. _I've broken my promise. I let them down. I let dad and mom down. _My father continues ahead, towards the cars.

No doubt he'll be waiting for me. He'll take me to Atlas, where I belong. I shudder, causing Jack to shift uncomfortably. We're practically pressed against each other's sides, a silent promise to never leave the other. Cormack follows next, whispering something quietly as he touches the box. When he finishes, he walks down the arranged aisle, following my father.

Jack breathes in deeply before stepping away from me to pay his respects. I watch as his unreadable eyes go from the casket to the sling that contains his arm. _The guilt he's feeling must be overwhelming, _I think sadly. _It wasn't his fault, it was mine. _After a long minute, the cold man steps back, waiting for me. Following the others' movements, I rest my gloved hand on the smooth material of the casket that holds my dead brother.

_He died too young, _I think bitterly. _21 was just the start of his life. _Angry tears well up in my eyes as I remember his last moments before they took him off of life support. I remember the painless sleep he drifted into when they put him on meds. I remember sitting beside Jack, crying my soul out as I clutched the unconscious, burned boy lying helplessly on a hospital bed. My gloved hand balls up into a fist on top of the casket and Jack pulls me away gently as soon as he notices.

"_You take care of yourself and Mitchell, okay?" _Looking up at the man in front of me, I promise Will and myself that I will always take care of Jack. Maybe in some twisted way, I think keeping this one will make up the one I made 21 years ago. The one I broke. I can't tell if the emotions I see in Jack's eyes are _his_ or a reflection of _mine_. _Both, _I guess sadly as I lace my fingers through his. Though he doesn't show it, I know he's going through a world of hell. Waking up to find your arm missing and your best friend hanging onto life by a thread is something no one should ever have to go through. But he did, and yet he's still here, putting on a strong front and squeezing my hand like it's a lifeline. My lip trembles as we walk down the aisle together, towards Cormack. _He's gone. He's really gone._

"I'm sorry Mitchell, Sam. Will was one of our best," the Sergeant says sorrowfully, walking with us. "Look," he says quietly, coming to a stop. "We take care of our own. If you two ever need anything…"

Before Cormack can finish his sentence, my father strides up to us and looks right at Jack. "Excuse me, Private Mitchell?" I tear my hand away from Jack's discreetly just as my father holds out his own. "I'm Jonathan Irons. I'm Will and Sam's father."

They shake hands as I take the time to look over the man before me, whom I haven't seen in nearly six months. _He hasn't changed at all,_ I think sourly. Looking as detached as ever in his expensive suit, Jonathan Irons shows no sadness or grief. _Did he ever? _I wonder, this time bitterly. Though I can never bring myself to hate our father as Will did, I can't stop myself from resenting the emotionless man. He meets my eyes and I blink, resisting the urge to wipe my tears and ruin my gloves. _Take that back, he _does _have emotions— anger and apathy._

"Mr. Irons, I'm sorry for your loss, sir," Cormack says respectfully, not a trace of dishonesty in his voice. He was there with Jack and me in Will's final hours. He grieved with us, cried with us, prayed with us. Where was my father?

"I'm sure you are, Sergeant," father says offhandedly, like he doesn't believe Cormack. Or maybe it's just that he doesn't care. "Private Mitchell," he continues, focusing on Jack again. I stiffen, already knowing what's coming next. "You were Will's best friend, and my daughter's still. You all paid too high a price for your country."

"It was an unfortunate tragedy, sir," Cormack cuts in. My eyes widen at the fact that someone interrupted my father— a crime that was punishable by a time-out or push-ups throughout Will's and my childhood.

My father turns to look coldly at the Sergeant and I cringe. "It was more than unfortunate, Sergeant, it was _unnecessary_," he replies, stressing the last word. He looks back at Jack, who's remained quiet and emotionless the entire time. "Son, I want to offer you a second chance."

At these words, Jack's posture straightens slightly. Whether it was because of the caring tone my father used, the _'son'_, or the words _'second chance'_, I'm not sure. As I watch the exchange, I realize that my father is practically taking Jack under his wing, though I have yet to figure out why.

Cormack frowns slightly. "Mr. Irons, Mitchell's been discharged. With his injuries—"

"I'm aware of his injuries, Sergeant," father spits. _Ah, he's in business-mode right now, _I deduce with narrowed eyes. I suck in a breath when my father reaches across the gap to put his hand on Jack's left shoulder. My eyes dart to Jack's to see if there's any pain, but if there is, he doesn't show it. "At Atlas, we have prosthetics that are twenty years beyond anything the military could offer you."

"_They've got the best gear, the best pay," _Jackson's voice echoes in my head. Watching Jack, I wait to see his reaction. So far, there isn't any. Damn him and his good poker face.

Stepping back, my father looks at me. "Will and Sam have told me what kind of soldier you are. You deserve to fight for a military that's as effective as you are."

Jack's blue eyes dart over to meet mine. _You told him about me? _is the silent question he asks. Sniffing a little, I press my lips together and look away, refusing to answer. Though Will wasn't very close to our father, he still sent back letters when I couldn't. We wrote about how we were doing, whatever interesting thing was happening at the time, and of course, our solid rock in the storm— Jack. _Perhaps I got a little too carried away in my letters, _I think awkwardly, folding my arms behind my back.

"Think about it," my father says, pulling out his business card and handing it to Jack. _Can't even go to a funeral without handing that damn thing out, _I angrily growl to myself as Jack accepts it. "Don't let Will's death be in vain." He turns, giving Cormack a cold nod. "Sergeant."

Turning to me, he opens his arm and I step under it, grateful for the comforting contact. We walk away as the Marines begin shooting for Will. A driver holds the door open for us and I wait patiently as my father climbs into the black truck first. Turning around, I look back at Cormack and Jack, who stand silently, watching us. Giving them a nod and watery smile, I wave goodbye before climbing in as well.

As we drive away from my dead brother and best friend, I sniffle again, attempting to keep the tears at bay. If I had known that I wouldn't see Jack for six months, I surely would have kissed, or at least hugged, him goodbye.

"How are you doing, Sam?" My father asks beside me, his tone gentle and caring. When I turn to look at him, I notice that he's no longer in business-mode, but father-mode. The sudden change always caught Will and me off guard when we were younger.

My lips tremble as the question brings back painful memories of Will. The revelation that Will is now just a memory makes me erupt in tears. "He's gone, daddy," I sob like a stupid little child.

Taking off my crisp and clean hat, my father looks at me sadly. "I know," he says simply, pulling me into his embrace. I hug my father tightly, admitting to myself that I've missed him dearly. "He's in a better place now, cliché as that sounds," father continues, rubbing my back as I cry into his jacket.

Unable to hold back the guilt and shame, I blurt out, "I let you down. I let you and mom down, I'm so sorry, dad. I'm so sorry." The words jumble together as I cry, making them difficult to decipher.

"Sorry for what, honey?" Is the confused response I receive.

At this point, my head is throbbing because of how hard I'm crying. My wet hands slip against my skin and my eyes are already starting to get puffy. "I broke my promise. I promised you three that I'd always protect Will. But I broke it."

Quickly, my father jumps in to correct me. "That wasn't a fair promise to make of yourself, Sam. The only one who could protect Will was Will; he knew what he was doing when he joined the Marines." Though my father's words have a ring of truth to them, the burden on my shoulders doesn't lessen any.

"Where were you when he was in the hospital?" I ask, the question coming out more bitter than I intended it to.

Sighing, my father pulls back. "Sam, you know I would've been there sooner—"

"Let me guess, you got too tied up with work to come see your only son before he died?" I spit, suddenly furious. Ripping the gloves off of my fingers, I release a shaky breath. _Don't put the blame on him, _the reasonable part of my brain says gently.

_It's _your_ fault Will's dead now, _the other part adds.

Sobbing, I cover my face with my hands, not wanting to show any more weakness than I already have. Instead of fighting back when my father puts an arm around me, I just cry harder. "A Major personally came to inform me that both my son and daughter had been honorably discharged from the Marines. When I _rationally _inquired why, he explained that Will had died and you were under severe psychological trauma."

I let out a small laugh when I hear father stress 'rationally', implying that he did just the opposite. "So it wasn't because of work?" I ask eventually, looking up from my wet hands.

"I came as soon as the Major told me, Sam. It was… it was just a little too late," he sighs. I can see how tired and stressed my father's become as he rubs his eyes. _He's grieving, _I tell myself. _He's grieving in his own way. He misses Will as much as I do._

My mind wanders back to a few minutes after Will was taken off of life support. The doctors wouldn't let us be present, but they did let us watch from the other side of a viewing window. As the heart monitor attached to my brother slowly flat lined, I went berserk, like someone had flipped a switch. I vaguely remember shouting and punching a few people, even knocking a doctor out, before I was sedated. They said I had a mental breakdown from the sudden loss and stress. Jack never left my side.

"Do you think Jack will join Atlas, dad?" I ask, wiping my eyes.

"You'd know better than I would, sweetie," he replies. "I have a pretty good feeling that he'll come around eventually, though."

Frowning at his words, I raise a brow. When my father gets a 'feeling', it's usually backed up by a truck load full of facts. "Why?" I ask cautiously, yet hopefully. _I really do hope Jack accepts the offer,_ I think to myself as I bite my lip. _Loosing Will and his arm is bad enough, adding me to that list would be like ripping out his heart._ From what little I know about Jack's past, I've gathered that he doesn't have much— if anything— waiting outside the military. No family, no girlfriend, no friends. It's just Will and me. _Just me now, I guess, _I think in a depressed manner.

"Well, for starters, you'll be there." Father smiles slightly, for reasons unknown. "There's also the offer of a second chance— a new arm, a new life, a job, a purpose… An offer that big is hard to turn down."

Smirking a little, I reply, "you would know."

"That's right," my father grins, shaking me a little. We arrive at the airport just then, making me go instantly solemn. _This is it, _I think as I follow my father onto his plane. The offer presented wasn't just for Jack; it was for me as well. The only difference is, I accepted as soon as Will died.

A life in the Marines was never the path I'd wanted; I merely went along with it in order to stay with Will and Jack. But now, I can go where I belong: Atlas.

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><p><strong>July 25<strong>**th****, 2054**

"Who's the hottie in the uniform?" A man with spiked up brown hair and red glasses asks as my father and I walk through the living quarters at the Atlas headquarters. The plane ride was uneventful, though enjoyable. I got a chance to catch up on much-needed rest and even got to have a couple shots. My father updated me on his life and how everything was going in Atlas. He informed me that I would be serving mostly alongside a man named 'Gideon' and that he was easily one of the best soldiers he had.

"Joker, this is my daughter, Samantha," father says with an amused expression.

The man, Joker, does a double-take, stuttering for a moment. "Sorry about that, sir," he says with a slightly mortified expression. "With all due respect, sir, she's damn fine."

I laugh, already liking the man in front of me. "Thank you," I grin, holding out my hand. We shake our hands and laugh at the unorthodox introduction.

"We really must be off, Joker. You'll be seeing more of Sam around the base," my father says, putting an arm around my shoulders and starting to walk away.

"Nice to meet you," I say sincerely with a smile.

Joker grins back, nodding. "The pleasure's all mine, doll. Good seein' ya, sir."

After we've parted from Joker, I laugh. "He's nice," I comment.

Father nods. "Exceptional soldier. He's under Gideon's command, actually, so I'm sure you'll be working beside him as well."

I file that piece of information away for later. After using a few elevators and walking through countless identical hallways, we stop at a door. "Here we are," my father says with a smile. Handing me a keycard, he motions for me to go inside. Swiping the card, I smile a little when the automated voice greets me by name.

Walking into the room, it doesn't take me long to look over every square inch of my new living space. The bed that also serves as a couch takes up one wall, a table with folding chairs rests in the middle of the room, and a window sits opposite the door.

"I know it's not much, but it's standard issue. I figured you wouldn't want any special treatment," father says as he walks in, looking out the window.

"You're right, I don't. It's perfect," I respond with a smile. Shelves and drawers are scattered around the room, and as I come in, I notice my bag is already waiting for me on the bed.

My father turns for the window to show me the screen that covers the wall opposite the bed. After handing me a remote that controls everything in the room from the lights to the temperature, he sighs as his phone goes off. "I hate to cut this short, but business calls."

Shrugging, I step over to hug my father. "I understand. Thank you daddy, for everything."

"You don't have to thank me, Samantha. I'm just glad you're here where you belong," my father replies, kissing my hair. "I'll see you soon, honey," he says, then leaves.

Now alone in the room— _my _room— I sigh. Opening one drawer, I find sets of folded clothes. Briefly wondering if my father planned ahead of time for my arrival, I slip my uniform off and put on a soft shirt with the Atlas logo on the front. After pulling on matching shorts, I climb onto the bed, pushing my bag off to the side. I'll deal with that later. Fiddling with the remote for a little bit, I figure out how to play movies, music, and feeds from Atlas missions. Among those things are countless files; I'm briefly stunned at the wide variety of things to watch. Clicking on one file at random, I watch a simulation perform a tactical maneuver of some sort, before it repeats at a slower pace. All the while, the automated voice explains what's happening, how to execute the maneuver, and the positive outcomes, along with the negative.

Exiting out of the video, I let out a breath. _This is what I wanted, _I remind myself. _It's what's best for me._

"If Will were here, he'd tell me I've lost my mind," I say aloud, laughing a little. "Maybe I have, I'm talking to myself."

As I dump out the contents in my bag, I frown. Will always said I talk to myself when I'm trying to get away from bad feelings. It was a habit I'd picked up from our mother, he said, though mother talked to herself for different reasons.

I start to put everything away. My small book collection goes on the shelf; a framed picture of Will, Jack, and I goes on another. Next to that, I put a folded and worn-down picture of my father and mother on their wedding. My small cosmetics bag gets put into an empty drawer, along with my own personal clothing. Putting my laptop on the table, I set it out to charge. I'd hardly ever used the thing, put it was a nice distraction I welcomed when on leave.

When I'm done putting away my few belongings, I sigh again. For the first time in months, I feel _lonely. _Lying down on the bed, I stare up at the white ceiling.

_Jack, I hope you make your decision soon, _I think sadly before falling into a nightmare-filled sleep.

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><p>"Miss Irons, your presence has been requested in the mess hall," the automated voice from earlier says, breaking the silence and effectively waking me from my restless sleep.<p>

"What?" I mumble in confusion, rubbing my eyes.

"Joker has requested that you join him in the mess hall for dinner," the voice repeats. Looking around in confusion, I decide the voice is coming from the speakers connected to the wall-computer-television thing. _Technology is definitely not my thing,_ I decide with a groan. My head hits the pillows.

"Now? What time is it?"

"It is currently 6:48, Miss Irons. Would you like me to deny Joker's request?"

_What kind of name is "Joker", anyways? No way that's his real name, _I think grumpily. "No, tell him I'll accept. But I'd like to freshen up, first," I say aloud, feeling silly for talking to a computer.

Said computer is silent for a moment, processing what I've said. "The showers and washrooms are at the end of the floor, Miss Irons. I will inform Joker that you will arrive in 15 minutes."

"Sounds good," I decide, standing from the comfortable bed. Stretching my stiff limbs, I grab my keycard and stuff it into my pocket before heading to the door. "Goodbye," I say cautiously, unsure of the response I'll get. Does the voice have a personality? Feelings? _I'm going crazy._

"Good evening, Miss Irons. I recommend that you also take your standard issue phone with you."

Pausing, I backtrack. _Are there cameras in here, too? _I wonder. "Wait, I have a phone?"

"Of course," is the helpful reply. "To your right, second drawer."

_Where the fuck are the cameras? _I ask myself, spinning around in search of said objects. Coming up empty, I groan and go over to the drawer, pulling out the shiny expensive-looking phone.

"It connects to the earpiece, Miss Irons," the voice adds.

Picking up the small earpiece, I look the objects over. "Why do I get an earpiece and phone, again?" I ask in confusion.

"The standard issue phone and earpiece allow you to remain in contact with everyone on base. Using the Atlas Corporation database, you can also access any information you want or require. It also has a map that will allow you to find the mess hall Joker is located in."

As the voice tells me all this, the phone goes through a walkthrough of the features and uses. "I'll check it out later," I say when the information becomes too much. Shoving the phone and earpiece into my pocket, I run my hands through my tangled hair. "Thanks."

"You are welcome. Have a nice dinner, Miss Irons."

Entering the shower room, I cringe slightly when I notice it's just stalls with curtains covering the door. Men and women wearing towels come and go, all going about their lives with purpose. Standing in the shower room, fully clothed, I get the overwhelming urge to cry. This is all too much to take in. _I just want Will back_.

"Excuse me," a feminine accented voice calls to my left. Turning, I see a woman with brown hair and light skin walk up to me. She's a few inches shorter than me and wearing the same standard issue clothes. "Samantha Irons?"

Raising a brow, I nod. "That's me," I answer hesitantly.

The woman sticks out her hand. "I'm Ilona. I was told you'd be in here," she says, tapping her earpiece. "I didn't know it would be this easy to find you, though," the woman jokes with a smile. I laugh slightly, wonder what brought this Russian woman all the way across the world to Atlas.

"Is there something you needed?" I ask politely, trying not to sound rude. "I'm kind of pressed for time…" I add, unsure of what to say.

The woman, Ilona, nods. "I've been informed that we're in the same squad, under most circumstances."

"Most?" I repeat curiously.

She nods. "I go where I'm needed." I nod as well, shifting slightly, feeling out of place. "I'm also here to show you the ropes. Like a tour guide or some shit," Ilona adds with a frown, spitting the last part out.

"That's really not necessary," I begin, suddenly wary of the unpredictable woman in front of me.

She shrugs, suddenly calm again. "Gideon thought it'd be better for a woman to show you around." Seeing my expression, she adds, "really, it's no trouble."

Sighing, I nod. "Alrighty. Mind showing me where the towels are?"

After handing me said objects, Ilona finds two empty stalls next to each other. I close the curtain and strip, hanging my clothes over the wall. With this new woman with me, I have to put on a normal face, one that doesn't show how broken I really am. Appearing weak in front of my new squad members is the last thing I want. After staring at the soap dispenser for a moment, I press a button and creamy shampoo smelling of apples and flowers fills my hand. _Not all technology is bad, _I think with a smile. God knows the Marines didn't have any of this. Shit, we were lucky to have soap at all. Washing my hair and body, I rinse off and quickly dry myself. Hopefully I won't be late. Throwing my previous clothes back on, I push the curtain aside to find Ilona pulling her shirt over her head in the aisle. She steps into her shoes and we exit the showers, my eyes remaining straight ahead. Nudity isn't a problem, but I like to keep my modesty intact.

"So where did you serve before you joined Atlas, if you don't mind me asking?" I break the silence as I dry my hair back in Ilona's room, which is down the hall from mine. According to the Russian woman, squads are put together as much as possible. In the words of the aloof woman, "helps with morale, apparently."

Ilona pins her wet hair up as she answers, "Spetsnaz. You?"

"Marines," I reply.

We leave her room and head to the elevator, where we continue to awkwardly warm up to each other. "Do you have a preferred weapon type?" Ilona asks curiously, watching me carefully. _Wonder if she's a spy, _I think to myself as she drinks in my movements. _Definitely a spy._

Shrugging, I answer as simply as I can. "Snipers and assault rifles, mostly. But I'll take anything with a silencer."

"Interesting. Were you a sniper in the Marines?" Ilona asks with a raised brow.

I shake my head. "Not specifically." The elevator stops and we get out, walking to the entrance. "So, how about you?"

"Sniper rifles, definitely," Ilona grins. "I was a sniper for the Spetsnaz."

"No shit," I say in disbelief.

The shorter woman nods. "Yeah, it was pretty fun. But I like it better here. More freedom."

"I can imagine," I laugh as we cross the busy street when there's a break in traffic. Even though it's getting dark, the base is bright and lively. Following Ilona down the street, I put my hands in my pockets. Drinking in the movement around me, I can't help but grin. Just like basic.

Ilona stops us at a brightly lit two-story building. "Here we are," she announces, smiling at me. We walk past the armored guards decked out in Atlas gear and into the air-conditioned mess hall. "If you want to go somewhere, you walk," Ilona says as we get into a line. The room is pretty crowded, but tolerable. "Getting rides takes money out of your paycheck. It's also a bitch."

"Got any other useful tips for a newbie?" I joke as we get our food.

"Lots," Ilona grins. "Personal firearms are permitted, but can't be worn openly. If someone sees you with it, it's confiscated and you've got to pay the fine."

We walk away from the line and I stop, looking for Joker. "You know Joker, right?" I ask to be certain.

"Unfortunately," the woman replies.

"That hurts my feelings, Ilona!" The man in question says, appearing out of nowhere. He puts a hand to his chest, using the other to hold his tray.

Ilona narrows her eyes. "And you think I care?"

"Touché," Joker laughs as he leads us to an open table. Sitting across from Ilona, I roll my eyes when Joker throws one leg over the bench. Facing me, he gives me a cocky grin. "Enjoyin' your stay, princess?"

I nod. "Yes, so far, thank you. Don't annoy me and we might just become friends."

"I like her," Ilona declares to the pouty Joker, who sticks his lower lip out. "So Samantha—"

"Please, call me Sam," I smile.

"Sam," the woman corrects. "Tomorrow I'll go through a few simulations with you and show you the ranges."

Smiling, I eat my dinner. "Sounds good."

The rest of the meal passes by quickly. The more I talk with Joker and Ilona, the more comfortable I get. I learned that Ilona and I are the same age and that Joker hates cats for some reason. We talk until it's nearly 10:30. We walk back to our building together when the staff kicks us out, conversing and laughing.

We reach my door first and I swipe the keycard. "What, you're not gonna invite me in?" Joker asks in a seductive tone, wiggling his eyebrows.

"You'll need to do more than take me to dinner," I laugh.

Joker doesn't give up, though. "How 'bout a goodnight kiss, then?"

Pushing Joker in the direction of his room, Ilona smiles at me. "It was good to meet you, Sam. Don't forget, lobby at 0600 hours."

"You've got it. Thanks for tonight," I add, referring to her helping me.

She nods. "Don't mention it. I'm glad Gideon stuck me with you," the woman laughs.

"Me too," I smile before turning into my room. I can hear Joker's loud immature laughter even after the door is closed.

"Welcome back, Miss Irons," the automated voice greets as I walk in. Kicking off my shoes, I change out of the Atlas clothes and into my own comfier pajamas. "How was your first night as an Atlas operative?"

Climbing into bed, I turn off the lights. "It was nice, I had a good time," I answer truthfully.

"That is nice to hear, Miss Irons."

I let the 'conversation' drop, turning onto my side. Now that I'm alone, I have time to think. I'm here, at Atlas. I even made friends— am I replacing Jack and Will? _So soon? _a voice in my head sneers. Is that what's really happening? Am I trying to replace my old life with this new one? Moving on from my brother and best friend is the last thing I want to do.

_Where's Jack right now? _I wonder. _I hope he's happy and not in any pain._

A wave of homesickness crashes over me and I frown. What did I leave? The Marines was most definitely not my home. I haven't had a home since I was 24. My eyes widen as I realize that my 'home' is not a _place_, but _people. _My father, Jack, Will…

Thinking of Will, I bite the inside of my cheek in an attempt to muffle my sobs. _Get it together, Samantha! You're not a teenager anymore. Quit being so weak. _As my brain wages war against my heart and I struggle with my new surroundings, I know two things for sure: I miss Jack _so _much, and I need him more than ever right now.

* * *

><p><strong>July 26<strong>**th****, 2054**

"Morning," I reply happily as Ilona walks up to me.

Looking up at me with narrowed eyes, she mumbles, "you're a morning person, aren't you?"

I shrug. "Not really, just excited for today, is all."

"Good," the woman smiles. "I am too. Let's see what you've got."

After making a brief stop to pick up my Exo Suit, we walk to the firing range in the morning light. Much like the previous night, the Atlas base is thrumming with life. People train all around us, jumping and climbing in their Suits, running drills, and go where they're needed. My nose wrinkles as I see a young man fall off the side of a two-story building. He stands up quickly, shaking off the fall. _Did I look like that when I was in basic? _I ask myself silently. Breathing in the clear air, I try to erase last night's batch of nightmares. It's no surprise that I've been having them since Seoul, but what bothers me is what the dreams contain.

"Here it is," Ilona nods, walking through the opened doors. I stop for a moment to marvel at the array of displayed weapons. Quickly going down the stares after the other woman, we come to a halt in a large room. Looking around, I notice that there are no targets and that the wall to my right has dozens of different weapons to choose from. "Grab a gun and pick a lane," the Russian says, leaning against a countertop. Looking up at the large scoreboard, I grin.

"First place?" I ask, jerking my head toward the bold letters.

Ilona nods. "Yep, since I got here."

Picking up a custom ARX, I smirk. "I can beat you."

She laughs. "I'd like to see that."

"So would I," a different voice adds. We turn to watch a dark skinned man come into the range, followed by Joker. "The name's Torres, ma'am," he introduces, holding out a hand.

Shaking it, I smile. "Sam Irons."

Joker, impatient as ever, waves his hands. "Great, now that the introductions are out of the way, show us what you've got!"

With an encouraging nod from Ilona, I find myself stepping up to lane number 4. _Alright Sam, you've just gotta relax. 2375 can't be that hard to pass up. _Standing on the platform, I look around in confusion at the empty range before me.

"Activating target training," a computer informs me as the range goes dark. Suddenly, blue panels pop up in various places. "Begin round one."

A red target pops up directly in front of me, which I shoot in the head immediately. Another pops up in a window to the left, receiving the same treatment. The simulation speeds up and blue targets appear with the reds. _Those must be friendlies, _I decide as I shoot a red target hiding behind a blue one. Each red target that pops up receives a few bullets to the 'head' and when there's a sudden lull in activity, I quickly reload.

"Begin round two," the computer says as the range changes, adding walls and corners. Red targets move quickly behind cover and blue targets, but all eventually meet the same fate. "Begin round three."

The difficulty is undoubtedly increased for this round, and I even mess up a couple times. "Fuck," I hiss when I need to reload in the middle of the round, causing me to miss a target. After the slip-up, a fierce need to prove my worth steps in. I'm not necessarily competitive; keeping myself among the shadows and blending in with the crowd is my specialty, but that's just it… these guys are the real deal. If I want to fit in here, I've got to show them I belong. I won't let them think I'm only here because my daddy says so; I'm no spoiled brat. But I'll be damned if I don't make my father proud.

Lost in my thoughts, I don't notice I've blown through round four until the computer interrupts my internal speech. "Training complete. Your score was Excellent."

Easing out of my fighting stance, I lower the rifle. "Shit, where did this chick come from?" Ilona mutters behind me. Turning around, I look at the scoreboard. _Irons 2650._

"Not bad, kitty cat," Joker grins, throwing an arm around my shoulder. Torres smiles as well and claps. Though Ilona looks a little pissed about being replaced, I can she the newfound respect in her eyes. _I've done it, _I think with a grin. _I'm in. _"Can't wait to see you run the sim," the spiky haired man beside me nods.

Shrugging, I set the ARX down. "I've got time to kill, let's do it."

* * *

><p>Torres, Joker, Ilona and I make our way to the mess hall after running the simulation. It was fairly simple; Joker had us complete it using stealth, which got no complaints from me. Even though the enemies were computers and the President was an actor, I couldn't stop my heart from racing with adrenaline. It really felt like a real mission.<p>

"I've gotta say, when we met I definitely had you pegged for just a pretty face," Joker begins as we sit down to eat lunch. "But now I know you're the real deal— pretty face and all."

Tipping my head slightly, I accept the compliment. Ilona jumps into a conversation about what we could've done different, but I find myself tuning her out. Because my thoughts are wandering, I don't notice a familiar man come up to our table. "—doin' great, boss. Beat Ilona at the firing range and kicked ass in the sim. And it was only her first try!" Joker says with pride. Looking up to see who he's talking too, I am momentarily breathless.

There, sitting across the table, is beanie guy. He's already watching me, taking in the information Joker gave out. "No shit," he says in slight disbelief. "Suppose I should've known who you were the moment I saw you in Seoul."

As I hold my breath, I try to ignore the effect his voice has on me. _Just like the first time, _I note. Unsure of what to say, I stay silent. Ilona and the others exchange confused looks, which go unnoticed by the man across from me. His beanie is still present, but it's fallen slightly off, revealing gray-black soft looking hair. _Wonder what it feels like? _"Gideon," he introduces, holding his gloved hand out. Shaking it, I try to hide the blush caused by my ridiculous question.

"Sam Irons," I reply. "But you already knew that."

He laughs and the sound alone has me grinning. "I met this little thing back in South Korea when we were transporting a principle," Gideon explains to the others. "Looked a lot different, then." Seeing my confused expression, he elaborates. "No Marine uniform on ya now."

Nodding, I pick at my food. _This is Gideon, _I think to myself in slight incredulity as the others jump back into action. Life sure has a funny way of doing things. "How'd the mission go, boss?" Joker asks as he mauls a sandwich.

Gideon's eyes harden at the memory. "Sloppy. Damn newbies don't know their front side from their back." I remain silent for the rest of the meal, just enjoying the company around me. Laughing at the appropriate times, I go through the motions. Even though I'm surrounded by new friends, I can't completely push away the loneliness. There, among my squad members, I think of Jack. Would he like these new people? Would he tell me to stop punishing myself?

Beanie guy— _Gideon, _I correct mentally— meets my gaze. He gives me a smirk, just like the first time we met. All traces of loneliness and sadness are washed away as I look at the man curiously. Something clicks and I practically feel the light bulb above my head flick on. _Being around these people will distract me._

And so, for the next few months, I throw myself completely into training and work. Will would have been proud.


	3. Atlas

**Guest: Awe, you're making me blush. Thanks for reading! If my motivation stays up as high as it is now, updates will be fairly quick. And oh boy, if you think ****_that _****was tension, just wait. It'll get better! Jack will be making an appearance in this chapter, actually. Every now and then there will be full chapters that aren't in the game. But now we're going back to the campaign, so you'll get a full dose of Mitchell. Enjoy!**

**PFC. Awesomeness: I'm glad you liked it! And ahh, I was really nervous about that part. At first they were going to meet when Gideon came to see the new member (Sam), then I had them meet by accident in the shower room (that was also pretty fun to write, but I ended up having Ilona meet Sam there instead), finally I just settled on a reasonable, believable, simple approach lol. I'm super relieved that you liked it though! As I mentioned above, Jack will be present throughout this chapter, so yay! Farther into the story he'll be elsewhere and it'll mostly be Sam and Gideon, but we'll get to that later. Well, wait no longer, because here's chapter three! Hope you like it!**

**jjadra: Thanks for the review (: I'm pretty excited too; it's a blast to write. Aahh I'm happy to hear someone else say Jack is cute (all my friends think I'm weird for having a total fangirl crush on Mitchell and Gideon)! Thanks for the feedback on Sam— I can't tell if I'm making her relatable or not, but you've let me know I'm doin' something right, so thanks again! The reunion is here at long last, so please enjoy! (:**

**Aubrey1207: Enjoy the quickness while it lasts lol. My break ends on Sunday, which means back to school *Throws tempter tantrum* and back to my hectic schedule. Hopefully, with the continued support and motivation, I'll still be able to update quickly. Aww, thank you! Really, that means a lot to me! (: This chapter has plenty of fluff moments for both pairings (I should probably think of ship names for them), so your fangirl side will probably be all over the place, or at least that's my goal, lol. Oh, don't sweat it! Your reviews make me super smiley and happy. Here ya go, ****_Atlas!_**

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Again, thanks for all the love guys! When I read your reviews I just get so happy and excited. Seriously, I'm thrilled that this story is getting such positive feedback. I'll be honest, these chapters are seriously addicting. I sit down and start typing then BAM! Suddenly I'm at 6,000 words. It's been a while since writing has carried me away like that. When I play Advanced Warfare, all I want to do is write more for this story— like I said, it's addicting. Well, I'm glad you're all enjoying it! If anybody has suggestions or anything like that, let me know!<strong>

**Side Note: This is more for me so I can keep everything straight, but I'll put it here anyways. In 2054, Gideon is 39, Jack is 27, and Ilona and Sam are 25. Joker's age is unknown, but I'm guessing he's in his late-twenties/early-thirties, with Jack .It's kind of confusing because of the fact that the Advanced Warfare campaign stretches across a number of years, but hopefully this clears up the confusion. ****_Thanks to Call of Duty Wikia for being the real MVP and helping me with all the facts and dates and little things. I'd be nowhere without you!_**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC, Samantha Irons. Everything/everyone else belongs to Sledgehammer Games, Activision, High Moon, Raven, and anyone else I missed. All rights go to their respective owners; I'm writing this purely for entertainment.**

**Warning: The following chapters contain spoilers for the game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Read at your own discretion.**

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><p><strong>January 23<strong>**rd****, 2055**

"Not too bad," Gideon pants beside me as we come to a stop. Training in the middle of the day, when the sun is it's freaking hottest, is definitely not on my to-do list. I watch the sweaty and out of breath Brit, deciding that it's definitely not the _worst _way to spend an afternoon.

"Tired already?" I ask with a raised brow, rolling my shoulders, unfazed by the intense running. My time at Atlas has practically flown by; most of it has been spent training and in lectures that everyone is required to take, though every now and then I got to tag along on a mission. When I wasn't in class or the gym, I was with my squad members. Ilona and Joker have become my closest friends— _but no one replaces Jack, _I automatically add. Gideon and I have become close too, dare I say it. It's an indefinable close; we're friends, but there's something there that makes it different. _Probably nothing, _I decide.

Straightening, Gideon grins. "Not even close."

Narrowing my eyes at his cocky tone, I challenge, "how 'bout another lap around base, then?"

Gideon opens his mouth to say something, but stops when his earpiece goes off. Giving me an apologetic look, he puts his finger to his ear. "Gideon."

As my breathing returns to normal, I allow my mind to wander back to Jack for a moment. These past few months have been difficult, but lucky for me, there are enough distractions around base that I hardly ever have a moment to myself. Sometimes my best friend will pop up at the front of my mind and I'll be in a depressed mood for the rest of the day. _What's he doing? _I'd ask myself. _If he hasn't decided by now, he never will. _The thought only served to worsen my mood. The others noticed, but wisely chose not to say anything. Not since the first time it happened, when Joker received a bruised jaw for pushing me a little too far.

Now, when I think of Jack, all I feel is pain and hurt. _He's moved on, _I remind myself mentally. He has a better life now, no doubt. There's still an empty place in my chest without him, but at this point I've come to accept it.

"Got it. Sam and I will be right over." My eyes snap to Gideon in confusion. "Shut it, Joker," Gideon barks in warning before he begins walking quickly in the opposite direction.

"What'd Jay want?" I ask curiously as I catch up to the jogging Brit.

The man beside me is quiet for a moment, like he's debating whether or not to tell me something. "Wants me to run over to the sim. They're almost done and Joker requested my wonderful presence at the exfil location."

"And I'm going with because…?"

Gideon smirks. "Figured you'd want to spend as much time with me as possible."

I roll my eyes. "One Joker is more than enough."

"Damn straight," he agrees with a laugh. "Suit up," he orders when we reach the prep area. I give him a confused look when he points to a full suit of Atlas gear. "Just do it, Sam."

Without another word, I toss on the gear. When I'm done, I turn to see Gideon pulling on his beanie and tying a bandana around his lower face. "Something feels off here," I comment as I take in his attire. He's dressed like one of the enemies we fight in the sim. "We're goin' in with no Exo Suits?" I ask in confusion.

"You'll be fine. Come on," Gideon beckons as he goes through one of the back doors. My guess is we're meeting up with the others at the end, where the POTUS gets taken away safely. _But why bother, since it's almost over?_ My head spins as it tries to understand what's going on. Gideon stops among some bushes, crouching low. "Put that thing on and go over by Joker," he commands, gesturing to my helmet. I raise a brow but say nothing, following the order as I stealthily merge with Joker and the others.

"Hey!" Joker grins from his crouched position behind some rocks. "Glad ya made it. There's a gun over there," he points. I grab the KF5 and duck behind the cover with him, not bothering to ask how he knew it was me. Peeking around the corner, I look to where Gideon was before. I frown when I see that said man is no longer there.

"What the hell are you guys up to?" I ask as the others begin to take out the enemies.

Instead of answering, Joker leans around the rock. "Get the door!" He shouts to someone. I watch as the man, probably a newbie, runs up to the truck. He pulls on the door handle a few times before grabbing his arm, almost like he's in pain. In an instant, Gideon appears beside him, punching the guy square in the jaw. _Ouch. _I inwardly cringe as he falls to the ground. _What's up with that? _

Gideon lifts his gun to shoot the POTUS but I leap forward in the same second, launching myself onto his back. Locking my arms and legs around him, I slowly begin to squeeze his throat. My motions send a silent order: _drop the gun._ Instead of complying, Gideon reaches behind him and does the unexpected. His fingers connect with my side and I have no choice but to let go as he begins to tickle me. In my sudden haste, I ungracefully fall to the hard ground.

Even though his face is covered, I know Gideon's mouth is stretched into a victorious smirk right now. He quickly lifts the pistol and shoots me in the side, causing my body to unwillingly become still due to the sensors in the bullet. I watch as he turns to shoot the POTUS in the face before turning the gun to the guy on the ground.

"Sloppy, Mitchell," Gideon growls at the stunned man below him. He pulls the bandana down and makes a shooting motion with the gun. "You're a dead man. Reset!"

At his command, the lights flicker on and I'm suddenly able to move. The POTUS jumps up, brushing off his suit jacket. "You alright, doll?" Joker asks, helping me to my feet. I nod, eyes trained on Gideon and Jack in disbelief.

"No excuse for equipment failure," he says as he pulls Jack to his feet. "Best weapon you have is the one between your ears. Use it."

I stare, unblinking and unmoving, at the stranger a few feet away. He's still the same old Jack I knew forever ago, but now he's got a left arm.

_"At Atlas, we have prosthetics that are twenty years beyond anything the military could offer you."_

_He's here. He's really here, _I try to convince myself. Joker pulls me aside as a jeep comes in just then. My father gets out, walking over to Gideon and Jack. Joker, somehow sensing that I still need proof that this isn't a dream, pulls me over to the POTUS. We stand together in a small circle as the two men make light conversation, giving me a chance to eavesdrop.

As my father approaches, Gideon pulls up Jack's prosthetic arm. "It's his arm, sir. I knew it was too early."

_What? _I shout mentally. Gideon fucking knew Jack was here the whole time? "That arm's worth more to me than this entire facility," my father replies as he comes to a stop next to the two men. "How's my boy doin'?" He asks Gideon.

"He's a work in progress," is the reply.

"Well keep working. This is a great soldier. It's a sad day indeed when the military has no use for good men like you." Suddenly light and happy again, my father nods back to the jeep. "Jump in. I'll give you the tour."

He and Gideon walk to the jeep. The Brit opens the door and leans against the side, waiting for Jack. I squirm uncomfortably when I notice the stare he's giving me. "Uh oh," Joker comments, noticing it too. "Looks like ya pissed the boss off with that little stunt back there."

I shrug in reply, watching Gideon get into the truck after Jack. The jeep drives away and I release the breath I was holding. Pulling my helmet off, I shake my head. "He's really here," I say out loud, trying to make myself believe it.

"Joker," Gideon's voice rings from the radio on Jay's vest. "We're bringing Mitchell over to R&D. Get the sim prepped for another run."

The POTUS begins to walk back to his starting position, with Joker and me following shortly after. "You got it, boss," the man beside me acknowledges. The radio is silent for a few moments before Gideon speaks again in a quieter, more threatening tone.

"And Joker… tell the brat next to you I'm not gonna let that slide."

Jay turns to me, grinning as he replies, "sure thing, boss."

As we return to the prep room, I tug off the Atlas armor. "What're you doin', Sam? Don't wanna run the sim again?" Joker asks as he begins to change the sim's settings. "Or are ya just tryin' to avoid the boss now?" His last question is asked with a smirk and raised eyebrow.

"Watch it, Jay. I told Ilona I'd meet up with her at the range after my run with Gideon. I'm late," I explain as I pull my hair out of its ponytail.

Blowing me a kiss goodbye, Joker grins. "See ya later, doll."

"You're too good for me," I sarcastically reply with an eyeroll as I leave.

Torres stops me as I'm on my way out of the building. "Do you know about…" he cuts himself off suddenly, going silent.

"Mitchell being here?" I finish for him, sighing as he nods.

"I didn't wanna keep it from ya, honest, Sam. Gideon said we should make it a surprise." Raising a brow at the sudden revelation, I listen as Torres continues in a happier tone. "But now that you know, what are you thinking? Aren't ya happy? Have you talked to him yet? Does he know you're here? Is he gonna—"

Quickly throwing my hand over his mouth, I laugh. "Calm yourself, Torres. I'm not sure what to think or feel. We haven't talked yet, and I suspect he knows I'm somewhere on base. Christ, you're starting to sound like a teenage girl."

"Sorry, Sam," Torres grins sheepishly when I remove my hand. "We just hate seein' ya down, is all. But now that Mitchell's here with us, it'll all be different."

I raise my eyebrows as I take in the man's words. _Were they really that effected by my depression? _I wonder silently. For the most part, I thought I did a pretty good job of hiding it. _Maybe someone heard the screaming in the middle of the night, _I guess finally. Sometimes the nightmares got the best of me.

"Well I've gotta run, Torres. Nice seein' ya."

The man nods. "You too. Dinner?"

"Yep," I confirm with a smile. Torres, Joker, Ilona, Gideon and I all eat as many meals together as possible, though it sometimes gets a little difficult when we're sent out on different missions.

Jogging out of the hangar, I make my way over to the range, which is just down the road. "Ma'am," an MP greets respectfully as I enter the building. I nod in return, skipping down the stairs. _If Torres and Joker knew about Jack being here, Ilona did too. _Taking a deep breath to prepare myself for the rant I'm about to give the Russian, I stride into the range. As soon as I cross the threshold, I notice three things. Ilona isn't alone, the man I was attempting to avoid is leaning against the counter a few yards away, and my _best friend _is using lane five. My mind races as I quickly try to figure out what to do before I'm noticed.

"Hey," Ilona greets quietly, coming over by me. _Fucking hell, _I hiss to myself, throwing all plans of escape out the window. "He's pretty good," she continues, nodding to Mitchell, who's effectively taking out targets. Ilona smirks, adding, "but not _our _good."

For some reason I'm unable to speak, so I just nod. The woman, bless her soul, catches on that this is a difficult moment for me and steps back over to lane eight. Risking a glance over at Gideon, I bite back a groan when I notice he's already watching me intently. _Eh, what the hell._

Copying the Brit's posture, I lean against the counter under the scoreboard, watching Jack instead of the targets. He still towers over me, even though I'm tall in my own right. He still shifts after he takes down a target. He still puts 110% into what he's doing. He's still Jack. _Then why does it feel like I'm looking at a stranger? _I wonder. Deciding it's because I haven't seen him in six months, I brush it off.

"Still mad at me?" I whisper as Jack begins the final round.

Maybe it's the hesitance in my voice, or the way I look down at the ground— whatever it is, it makes Gideon pull me under his arm. "Course not, love. If anything, you should be mad at _me_ for keepin' this—" he gestures to Jack, "—a secret."

Unable to hold back a smile at the pet name that rolled so easily off his tongue, I grin. "Don't worry, I am."

"Thought you would be," Gideon replies nonchalantly, removing his arm. A huff of annoyance escapes my lips before I can stop it, but to my relief, he doesn't comment. "We can settle everything over a couple rounds in the ring."

Smirking, I nod. "Deal."

"Training complete. Your score was Good," the computer announces, making me stiffen.

Gideon gives me a worried look as he comments, "not bad. Over to the grenade range. You need some hands on with the variable grenades."

I remain completely unmoving, wishing I had my Exo Suit right now so I could activate the Cloak. _Don't move and he won't notice you. _Why am I so eager to avoid the reunion I've dreamed over for half a year? _What if he's different on the inside? _I panic. _What if Jack doesn't care about me anymore? _Suddenly _I _become the teenage girl I chastised Torres for being. _Don't be ridiculous, Sam. This is Jack we're talking about. You're still best friends; it's just been a while._

The man turns at Gideon's words, flicking the safety on. His eyes meet mine and I swear my heart stops beating for a few seconds. "Sammy?" Jack asks cautiously. I vaguely register that he's grown facial hair. _Looks damn good on him, _my mind praises. Unable to speak, I nod vigorously, relief washing over me as his familiar voice hits my ears.

As if the barrier between us was suddenly shattered, Jack drops the gun and strides toward me. Grinning, I meet him halfway, laughing in disbelief as we hug tightly. I shriek when he unexpectedly picks me up and spins us around. When my feet are back on the ground, I look up into his crystal blue eyes. "You're really here," I whisper.

"I am," Jack says, setting it in stone. He's here, with me. I've got my best friend back. "I've missed you so much, Sammy," he adds in a rushed tone, crushing me to his chest.

After a moment, I step away. "Well it took you long enough to fuckin' show up." Gideon laughs, while Jack looks slightly shocked at my words. Cursing was never really my thing. _Until I met Joker and Gideon, _I smirk.

"Alright rookie, the grenade range. We've got work to do," the Brit reminds Jack in his standard bossy tone. _Way to ruin the moment. _Jack follows Gideon out the way I came in, but not without glancing at me a billion times. When they leave, I sigh, rubbing my face.

"Everything you hoped it'd be?" Ilona jokes as she moves to range 5.

Turning to the scoreboard, I grin at the top three names. _Irons, Ilona, Mitchell. _"And more," I respond, laughing slightly. _And here I was, thinking he hated my guts or something._

"Go, Sam," Ilona commands sternly. "The range won't disappear any time soon. And it looks like I won't beat your score any time soon, either."

Grinning like the Cheshire cat, I thank the Russian profusely, promising to make it up to her later. In my hurry to get to the grenade range across the street, I nearly get run over by a supply truck. "Was wondering how long it'd take ya," Gideon greets with a smirk as I run up to him. Sticking my tongue out, I prop an arm up on the wall behind him, leaning against it as I watch Jack run through the training. A quick glance to my left confirms my suspicions: Ilona's in first place. _Guess I'll have to change that in the near future, _I grin to myself.

"So what are you planning to do?" I ask curiously as I watch Jack toss a threat grenade before taking down the hostiles hiding behind cover. Gideon turns slightly and I shift uncomfortably when I realize how close we are. His raised eyebrow tells me to explain, so I do. "'Tell the brat next to you I'm not gonna let that slide'," I quote, doing my best to imitate the Brit's deep voice.

The laugh that follows tells me I've done a terrible job. "Ah, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," Gideon says with a mischievous smirk.

"You're wearing a t-shirt," I point out smartly.

Gideon narrows his eyes, uncrossing his arms. "Don't make me," he threatens as one hand comes dangerously close to my side. Jumping back instantly, I play it cool, pretending like I went over to the table to inspect a few crates.

"Training complete. Your score was Average," the computer says, signaling the end.

"Average is right," Gideon comments, pushing himself off the wall. _Aw, he looked so good standing like that, _my mind complains. I pause to mentally ask myself what the _fuck _that just was.

"Could've been worse," Jack defends himself as they start to leave. He turns to me, a smile lighting up his face. Walking over quickly, I hug my best friend, unable to resist.

"Let's move. We're gonna run the simulator again," a snarky British voice calls out. I remove myself from Jack and hurry over to Gideon, eager to run through it with him. _This'll be interesting, _I tell myself as the three of us enter the hangar. "Stay sharp, Irons is going to be watching," Gideon tells us as he picks up a sniper rifle, testing it out. Jack looks at me questioningly, making me shrug. "I'm leading this time," the beanie clad man before me announces.

Picking up an ARX, I tap my foot loudly on purpose while I wait for Gideon to finish feeling out the rifle. He looks me over before rolling his eyes and holding the gun out. Accepting it with a grin, I sling the sniper over my shoulder. "Kit up," he tells Jack, who's standing dumbstruck by the stairs. I laugh a little, remembering the first time I saw this room. My reaction was something similar. "Choose your loadout."

I cross the large room as Gideon picks up an IMR and makes his way to the elevator on the right. "Get in the elevator," he orders as Jack finally chooses on a pistol and SMG. Grabbing all the ammo I'll need, I turn to see Jack get into the elevator with Gideon.

"The _other _elevator, Mitchell," he sighs in exasperation. Under his breath, he adds, "fuck me." _You'd think he'd be used to dealing with newbies by now, _I think as I laugh uncontrollably for a few moments. Jack climbs into the elevator on the left, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. When I take my place beside Gideon, I hear no complaints. A smirk tugs on my lips as the elevators begin to ascend.

"Joker, we're heading up. Switching the sim to assault mode this time," Gideon informs, crouching down. I follow his lead, switching my ARX and sniper. I have to bite my tongue to keep from complaining at his words. _Stealth mode is so much more fun than Assault._

"Copy that," Jay responds. "We're ready to go."

Rain begins to hit me as we reach the top. "Preparing assault mode," the computer says. The elevators jerk to a stop and I notice Joker crouched with a few others by the gates. "Simulation starting in three, two, one… Execute."

On that cue, the gates swing open. "Okay, my lead, my way," Gideon commands before starting forward. _Is he always so controlling? _I wonder briefly as we join the others.

"Here they come!" Joker shouts.

Gideon rolls his shoulders, giving us the signal. "Take 'em down!"

With that, the men open fire as they advance on the house. Quickly hurrying off to the side, I lay in the grass. Looking down the sniper's sights, I pick off enemies as they rush toward the stairs. _"Atlas zero-one, we are tracking POTUS. Media room, south wing,"_ Prophet informs over the comms.

I want to ask if he ever gets tired of saying the same damn things all day, but think better of it and stay silent. _You've already irritated Gideon once today, don't make it worse, _I reprimand myself. Picking off the last few stragglers, I jump to my feet. "Clear! Move up," Gideon announces. We hurry forward and I fall in step beside Joker, who gives me a cheesy grin before rushing off to the kitchen. _Weirdo. _"Alright, pick your entry point. We'll RV at the media room," Gideon tells Jack as I crouch beside him. As soon as we hear the kitchen door get kicked open, Gideon busts through the doors to the living room. We make short work of the dozen hostiles trying to kill us. A few bullets whiz past my head, making me duck behind the wall and quickly switch to my ARX. Leaning around the wall, I aim and take down the guy that tried to shoot me.

When the room is cleared, we enter quickly. "Mitchell, clear the bedrooms," Joker orders as we enter the hallway.

"Contact!" Rivers, a kid I'd trained with a couple times before, yells as enemies burst into the hallway. We take them down and Jack enters the bedroom. "Clear," he calls out when Jack takes out the last enemy. Meanwhile, Gideon rushes past me and down the hall, leaning against the wall beside the door to the media room.

Hanging back with Joker and Rivers, I reload, preparing for the drones that are about to come breaking through the windows. "Mitchell, get the door," Gideon orders. Seconds later the door is shattered open and a gun goes off a few times before everything is silent.

"_Atlas zero-one, be advised: we are detecting a large QRF approaching your position,"_ Prophet breaks the silent.

Gideon and Jack join us, the POTUS following closely behind. "Roger that, Prophet."

Joker crouches, gun trained on the windows. "Drones!" He calls out as soon as they make their appearance.

"Use your EMPs!" Gideon recommends and a second later Jack is tossing said grenade at the swarm. The EMP goes off and the drones crash to the ground in an electronic buzz. The room is cleared and we follow Joker as he busts through the patio doors. "Mitchell, use your assault drone!"

With Jack at the rear of the group, controlling the drone, I crouch beside Gideon and shoot down at the enemies. The drone easily tears the enemies up, leaving us to mop up the remains. After I pick off the gunner on the turret, Gideon gives the signal to move up. "Area clear!"

As I stand and follow Rivers, I notice Jack and Joker fist bump, grins on their faces. _Didn't take him long to make friends, _I think to myself with a slight smile. When we're across the road and running down the path, Gideon updates Prophet. "We're approaching the north access road. Need immediate exfil!"

"_Copy that, Atlas zero-one. Exfil on approach."_

Just as the last of our group arrives at the road, the truck comes zooming in. "Get the President inside!" Gideon barks at Jack. "Do it right this time!" _Glad I'm not the focus of that frustration, _I sigh mentally. But just as soon as the relief comes, it goes, replaced by a fierce need and want to protect Jack. _I promised. _Crouching on the stone, I watch Jack rush up to the front and open the door easily, without any problems. He closes the door and pats it twice, then the truck goes racing away. _Guess I'll have to talk to Gideon about him easing up on Jack… and find out why he punched him. _That's something I've never seen Gideon do before, not even in training. He's always so collected and in control. Shrugging it off as my imagination running away with me again, I shift my focus to the house the enemies are about to come out of.

"Prophet, package is secure!"

"_Copy, Atlas zero-one. Warbird inbound to provide air support, ETA one mike."_

Jack comes running over to me as the bullets begin to fly. "Hey," he says breathlessly with a grin. Unable to form an appropriate respond, I simply smile back and continue to take out the hostiles.

"Copy, Prophet! Alright, dig in," Gideon says to the rest of us. Looking over my shoulder at him, I notice he's more— what's the word— _wound up? _I finish, questioning myself. His hypnotic eyes meet mine and I remain still for a moment before spinning around and continuing to take out the enemies. Joker tosses an EMP at the Drones while Rivers focuses on getting the turret off our backs. Quickly pulling out my sniper rifle, I shoot a couple guys hiding in the bushes by the house. Turning, I line up the crosshairs with the gunner's head. I pull the trigger, but before the bullet can connect with the guy's head, the Warbird sweeps in, spraying on the enemies relentlessly.

"Get to the Warbird, Mitchell!" Gideon shouts, which I translate to 'mission complete'. While Jack tirelessly rushes over to the descending Warbird, I hang back. Turning to meet up with Joker, I gasp in shock when I'm suddenly swept off the ground. Looking at the world upside down, I frown.

"Put me down, Gideon!" I complain, hanging limp over his shoulder. "What are we, 12?"

My complaints go unanswered and somewhere behind me I hear my father's voice. "Looks like we've got an operator on our hands."

"He's getting there, sir," Gideon replies, like I'm not there at all. Afraid to kick out for fear of hitting Jack or my father, I simply let the blood rush to my head.

The men laugh at what I can only assume is me before my father speaks again. "He's ready for real work. Good job, son. Welcome to Atlas."

Pulling myself up, I push against Gideon's back to try and see what's happening. Jack and my father shake hands, both looking proud and pleased with the turn of events. As Gideon turns and begins walking back to Joker, I grin at Jack. Giving him a thumbs up, I grin. My best friend is officially in Atlas. He's here, with me. The man gives me a weird look but smiles back before turning to talk more with my father.

"Gideon, put me down or so help me!" I hiss, thoroughly annoyed at this point. _Please. You know you like the attention. _My cheeks warm at the unexpected thought.

The Brit laughs, clearly not intimidated. "Lookin' good, boss," Jay smirks when Gideon comes up to him.

"Really?" I huff. "No help?"

He laughs. "Sorry, doll. Don't have a death wish."

With one arm securely wrapped around the backs of my thighs, Gideon sets his gun down beside mine. "Guess that wraps things up for the day," he tells Joker. "Irons sure does like the kid."

"And you don't?" I counter protectively.

"I don't like how he—" Gideon stops suddenly, making me think something's wrong. His fingers meet my side again and I shriek, furiously trying to escape his grasp. If he wasn't wearing the Exo Suit, I would've been on the floor a long time ago.

"Put me down!" I demand, punching his back repeatedly. I hear a faint "as you wish, princess" before I'm unkindly deposited on the ground. Glaring up at the Brit in front on me, I narrow my eyes.

Before I can stand up to attack the Captain head on, he's gone, just like that. Twisting around in confusion, I watch as Gideon quickly makes his way out of the hangar. Joker helps me to my feet and we exchange a confused glance. "The fuck?" I exclaim, brushing the dirt off my pants.

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><p>Later on, after I've taken a shower, I sit in my room, bored as can be. With no distractions, my mind wanders to the day's events. Without any prompting, it splits into two major focuses: Gideon and Jack. Deciding I want everything involving Gideon to be locked away forever under the "DO NOT OPEN" file, I stand quickly. Making my way to Ilona's room, I cross my fingers and hope the Russian is there. Maybe she knows where Jack's room is. God knows he and I have some catching up to do. After waiting several minutes for a response, I eventually give up and continue further down the hall to Joker's room. Just as I raise my fist to knock, the door slides open, revealing the one person I wanted to avoid. <em>My luck is just the greatest today, <em>I grumble to myself, stepping out of the way so Gideon can pass. He stands still for another few seconds, like he's waiting for something, but eventually he moves around me and walks off to God-knows where.

"Jay, do you know where Jack's room is?" I ask, getting straight to the point. If I stay any longer, I'll probably be persuaded to have a few…dozen…drinks, which is something I don't want— not right now, anyways.

The man in question looks up from the TV to me, bottle in hand. "It's right across from yours. I thought Gideon told you," he explains with a puzzled look. Groaning, I hit my head on the doorframe.

"Must've slipped his mind…" I mumble weakly, accepting the outstretched bottle. Taking an unhealthy gulp, I wrinkle my nose. "What _is _that?" I ask as I paw through the various drinks on one of Joker's shelves in an attempt to find something pleasant to wash the bitter burn away. Joker shrugs, taking a drink of the substances. I throw my arms up and wave goodbye to the drunk hillbilly on the bed as I exit the room. _It's practically a liquor store in there, _I remark as I head back down the hallway.

Coming to a stop at the door _right across the damn hall from mine, _I knock hesitantly. "If Gideon is in there, then I swear I'm gonna—" my words are abruptly cut off as a shirtless Jack opens the door. "—lose it," I finish lamely, raising my eyebrows. Jack blushes and waves me in. As the door closes behind me, Jack tugs a shirt over his head quickly. When he's done, he gives me a shy smile.

"Did you know my room is right across the hall?" I ask curiously, taking a seat at the table.

Jack nods, settling on the edge of the bed. "Gideon told me. Didn't seem too happy, though." He shrugs. _What's up with him? _I wonder silently before turning to take in the room. The room is spotless and as plain as ever. A few books and envelopes rest on one shelf, but besides that, there's nothing else.

Leaning forward, I grin. "So, an Atlas member, huh? Is it everything you thought it'd be?"

"Guess you could say that," Jack answers with a half smile, flexing his left arm.

"Is it weird? Having it back?"

Blue eyes meet my own and even though I'm hurt and upset, I feel the negative emotions get wiped away. Looking at the man before me, I realize in irritation that I can't stay mad at him. "Yeah, it's really different. Can't say I ever missed it, though, being right-handed and all," Jack jokes. I laugh before going serious again.

"Oh, Jack," I mumble, glancing at the floor. "There's so much I want to ask you."

Jack nods eagerly. "Ask away. You deserve that much if you've gone through what I have." Raising a brow, I ask what he means. "Well," he rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "I really fuckin' missed you, Sammy. Every day was hell. It was… it was like Seoul all over again."

"Do you have nightmares about it?" I ask quietly. When he reluctantly nods, I add, "me too."

At the revelation, Jack seems to go completely sentimental. "Sammy, I am _so _sorry. I was a complete dick… it shouldn't have taken me so long to decide—"

"No, no. You had every right to take all the time you needed. It's _your _life and _your _future. So what if it took you a couple months to make your decision?" I ask with a shrug.

Jack raises his head, giving me a warning look. "Don't do that. Don't pretend like I'm not at fault here. You needed me after…_that,_" he shudders, unable to fully address the haunting memory. "And I wasn't there. If that doesn't make me the worst friend in the world, then I don't know what would."

Sitting beside him on the bed, I stare at the floor in front of us. "All the matters now is that you're here. You're here and you aren't going anywhere, right?"

"Right," Jack answers, his voice certain. Our fingers lace together, like the day of Will's funeral, and I fight back tears. "So tell me about what you've been up to, Sammy. We've got six months to cover."

I grin, the threat of tears chased away by the sudden happiness. "Well, for starters, I made some friends…"

We lose track of time, just sitting there with each other. I talk about the training, my friends— _our _friends— and everything I've done. Jack doesn't dive into specifics with what he did for six months, but I got the gist of it. A drinking problems, couple bar fights, and more one night stands than he can remember. I cringe when I hear about all the pain he's gone through. We dealt with our grief differently, it seems. Jack didn't have all the distractions I did. He didn't have the support system I did, because he unintentionally shut us out.

I jump when there's a knock on the door. Jack gets up to open it, revealing Joker, Ilona and Torres. "Got worried when you two didn't show up for dinner," Ilona explains as they fill the room. Stretching from my position on the bed, I check the clock. _11:07 pm._

"Guess we got distracted," Jack mumbles.

This catches Joker's attention. "You're not foolin' around with my girl, are ya?"

"Yours?" Jack and I ask at the same time, though my tone is joking and light. Jack, however, looks utterly confused.

"He's kidding, Mitchell," Torres explains with a grin. "They have this almost-but-not-quite relationship."

I scoff. "In his dreams."

"You know it," Joker winks, making Ilona and I groan. The rest of the night we spend laughing and talking, with Jack getting to know the others better. As I look around the room, I can't help but wonder where Gideon is.


	4. Traffic

**Embemxrabbit: I'm glad to help (: I'm also glad that you're enjoying this. It's very fun to write, as I've said before, and it makes me absolutely overjoyed when I see others having as much fun as I am. There'll be plenty of Gideon x Sam in this chapter, possibly with a little surprise somewhere in there? But my lips are sealed. Hehehe. I can honestly say it's taken over my life as well lol. There's just so much packed into one game. Every time I play the mission "Collapse" I fangirl so hard at the beginning cutscene, because Gideon and Jack are just so ****_perfect _****and ****_hot _****and ****_amazing _****and ****_ugghh! _****Every now and then I stop and ask myself what's wrong with me, but then I rationalize that there are others out there— like you!— that feel the same way about these characters. Plus, they're real people, so there's that lol. Sorry for this weird long rant thing lol. Please, enjoy this chapter!**

**Aubrey1207: Yes, it's quite depressing. But knowing me, I'll probably write these chapters out ****_during _****school whenever I get the chance lol. Updates on weekdays will probably be a rare occurrence, though I'll try to make it happen. Awwe, thanks! I've always liked replying back this way. It's more fun than doing that weird PM stuff (PM-ing honestly scares me, for whatever reason lol). Well I'm glad I can make you smile (: And really? Wow! Self-confidence just went from below average to extremely high. Thanks for the feedback! And please let me know if any part seems a tad slow or choppy, okay? I usually finish writing these chapters in the early hours of the morning, so I'd imagine it'd be more flawed than normal. Shout out any mistakes you find! Ahhh, I'm really excited for you to read this chapter! I think you're gonna be really happy (or at least, I hope you will be lol)! Happy reading! (:**

**PFC. Awesomeness: Thanks for the review! I try my best with that, since I've probably got a different way of looking at the characters than others do. If something seems a little unbelievable, then don't hesitate to point it out! I want to keep Gideon and Sam's "relationship" a little strained and confusing for right now (but I'm not sure if I'm correctly pulling it off). The reasons for that will be mentioned later on when Sam addresses it herself and yells at Gideon. So until then, sit back, relax, and enjoy the shortness between chapters while it lasts! Oh, and here's a little tip/cheat: if the title of the chapter isn't from a mission in the campaign, chances are, there won't be as much Jack. Of course, there are exceptions, but yeah. I'm curious to see what you think of this chapter!**

**Masmp31: I'm happy you like it! Thanks for the review (: Here's an update for ya!**

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><p><strong>Author's Note: As always, you guys just warm my heart with all the love you're throwin' out. Unfortunately I've gotta say, this might be the last chapter for a while. I'll try to get ch. five out on Sunday as well, but no promises. As soon as I go back to school I have to work on a presentation I've got the 13<strong>**th****, and that'll probably take up most of my free time. At the very latest, chapter six will be up this upcoming weekend. I have successfully been able to hold myself back until this point, which is quite an accomplishment, in my opinion. Interested to see what you all think of the twist, so be sure to press that adorable little review button down below! I hope you're all having a wonderful day! Here's ****_Traffic_****!**

**P.S: The deltoid is a muscle in your shoulder, in case someone didn't know that (I didn't either until I asked my dad for help..whatevs). Look it up on Google if you wanna know specifically where it is (I did). I apologize in advance if anything regarding injury or bullet wounds or blood mentioned in this chapter is incorrect in any way! I'm not a doctor, just a teenage girl who watches a lot of gory war movies/shows and kind of throws shit together. So forgive me if something doesn't match up! And if it doesn't, be sure to tell me in a review (or PM, if absolutely necessary).**

**Side Note: This is more for me so I can keep everything straight, but I'll put it here anyways. In 2054, Gideon is 39, Jack is 27, and Ilona and Sam are 25. Joker's age is unknown, but I'm guessing he's in his late-twenties/early-thirties, with Jack .It's kind of confusing because of the fact that the Advanced Warfare campaign stretches across a number of years, but hopefully this clears up the confusion. **_**Thanks to Call of Duty Wikia for being the real MVP and helping me with all the facts and dates and little things. I'd be nowhere without you!**_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC, Samantha Irons. Everything/everyone else belongs to Sledgehammer Games, Activision, High Moon, Raven, and anyone else I missed. All rights go to their respective owners; I'm writing this purely for entertainment.**

**Warning: The following chapters contain spoilers for the game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Read at your own discretion.**

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><p>"<em>After Korea I thought I was done. But Irons gave me something to believe in. It's one thing to get your foot in the door. Next, you gotta prove you belong there. I got my first chance two months later." –Jack Mitchell<em>

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><p><strong>March 7<strong>**th****, 2055**

"Just over 12 hours ago, Nigerian Prime Minister Semuel Abidoyo was taken hostage while attending an international technology summit in Lagos. We believe this to be the work of the KVA— a leading anti-Western terrorist organization founded by former Chechen separatists. The location and true identity of its leader, codename "Hades", remains unknown. While the motivation for this abduction is unclear, it is with in keeping a series of bolder attacks attributed to the KVA over the past several years. Your mission is to link up with host nation forces under the command of Captain Ajani and effect the immediate release of the PM."

I listen to the computer— whose name I found out to be "Narrator"— explain the upcoming mission to Gideon. He, like the rest of us, is suited up and ready to leave at a moment's notice. Jack glances up at me in worry before messing around with the Fly Drone. My stomach twists on itself. This is Jack's first mission, and my first mission with everyone— 'everyone' being Gideon, Joker, and Jack. To say I'm nervous and excited is an understatement. "These amateurs think they understand hostage rescue. We'll show 'em how it's done," he says to no one in particular.

Joker and I grab a few crates full of weapons that we'll need when we arrive. He gives me a nod in thanks when I set them down and brush off my gloves. My eyes can't help but wander back to Gideon. These past two months have been odd, to say the least. We've been training together still, and it seems like that's only time he's ever actually _normal. _Outside of training, his actions are a mystery. One day, he'd be laughing and shootin' the shit with the rest of us; the next, he'd give everyone the cold shoulder. It was infuriating to Ilona, who hates being ignored. But still, no one questioned it, deciding a moody Brit was better than a pissed off one.

Worry is starting to eat at me from the inside, gnawing its way outward until it becomes unavoidable. _After this mission, _I promise myself, _I'll talk to him. _It's not like I've been avoiding him the past two months— more like the other way around. Mostly all my attempts to talk to Gideon have been brushed off or flat-out ignored, and it's starting to hurt. _Have I done something? _I'd ask myself, chewing my thumb nail out of anxiety. After this mission, I'll talk to him— force him, if I have to. Either way, I'll find out what's going on inside his head.

"Waitin' on you, rookie," Gideon says to Jack, shaking me from my thoughts. He picks up the crate beside the table and walks over to us.

"Yeah hang on a sec alright, the, uh… the sync is still off," is Jack's reply as he continues to mess with the Drone. "Okay, I got it," he says proudly. "These things are pretty impressive. Whoa!"

The fly comes buzzing over, right in Gideon's face. He smiles, "try not to fall in love with the toys. It still comes down to the soldier that uses them," the Brit explains after pointing at the fly. Jay stalks over to the crates again and I can sense his impatience. Jack comes over to my side, fiddling with the remote. His expression is so focused and intense that I can't help but laugh.

"_Gideon, my men are in position. We are ready to commence operations at your word," _Ajani's voice informs over the radio.

We grab out gear and double check everything before we head out. "Copy. We roll hard in five."

Picking up my shiny ARX, I listen quietly as Gideon pokes fun at Jack. "Try not to get us killed out there, rookie."

"Roger that." I smirk at his sarcastic and quiet reply, following Joker over to the elevator. We kit up and wait for the signal.

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><p>On a rooftop overlooking the building containing the PM, we wait patiently. The Nigerian forces have their trucks and guns set out all around the front of the building, telling the hostiles inside to come out peacefully and they won't be harmed. "Mitchell, you're up," Gideon nods, motioning Jack forward. He lets the Fly climb into the air for a moment before flipping on the controls. We watch the screen, trying not to crowd Jack. He twitches a little when my breath touches his neck. <em>Sorry, <em>I mentally exclaim, shifting away.

"Fly drone's live. Sending you the feed," Joker says as he connects the drone's camera to the rest of ours. I sit back on the roof, ARX in hand, as I watch the drone's movements from my own screen.

Gideon, who's crouched beside me, watches as well. "Steady now," he cautions. "Approaching target building," he informs as the fly slips through a window. It begins scanning the faces of the hostiles by the windows, continuing on to the back of the building.

Joker puts a hand to his earpiece before nodding in confirmation. "We got multiple KVA, south room on the second floor," he reports. After being told to keep moving by Gideon, the fly winds through windows and rooms. "Conference room up ahead," Jay adds. My breath catches in my throat as the fly goes for a narrow opening into the room. I sigh in relief as it makes it into the room unharmed.

The fly takes in the hostages and KVA soldiers guarding them before turning its camera to the PM, Hades, and another hostage who's bleeding profusely. "There's the Prime Minister, boss, and look who's with him," Joker says verbalizing our thoughts.

"Hades," Gideon spits in malice as the drone zooms in on the leader of the KVA's face.

Joker shifts in anticipation. "We gonna bag 'im?"

"The PM's our first priority," the Brit replies, though I can tell he wants to take out the terrorist badly. We go silent as Hades begins to speak.

"We are all men… born to die. Some guilty, some innocent. The only question is when and how."

The PM rushes forward, desperate. "Look, we live by God's grace. His killing will achieve nothing!"

I bite my lip, bracing for what's about to happen. Hades whips his pistol out, pressing it against the hostage's temple. "You are mistake," he counters calmly, pulling the trigger.

"No!" The PM shouts as blood sprays across the table and his shirt. He leans forward, bound hands shaking.

Hades leans forward as well, so he's right beside the dead man's head. "It will achieve a great deal."

Gideon, who was watching silently up until the last moment, pushes the mic on his vest. "Prophet, they just executed a hostage. We're striking now," he explains, throwing out a hand to me. Without hesitating, I reach up and grab it, butterflies in my stomach at the contact. After I'm on my feet, Gideon raises his weapon, readying it.

"_Copy, Atlas two-one, you have execute authority."_

Joker puts a finger to his earpiece. "All teams, we're green, we're green!"

I follow Gideon as Jack puts the controls away before picking up a weapon. I take in his wide eyes and steady movements— he's been dying for this moment, and it's finally here. Jack has to prove himself, like I did months ago. This is his initiation. "Three mikes to phase alpha. Clock's on," Gideon informs beside me.

Ajani quickly comes over and puts a hand on his vest. "If we attack now, they will kill the Prime Minister!" He panics, accent coating his words and making them slurred.

"They'll kill him anyway," Gideon argues softly. He understands that Ajani isn't prepared for this. He understands that it's stressful to someone who hasn't done it 5 million times before. He understands, but that's why they called in Atlas. "We'll get him out alive," the Captain says easily, like we're just preparing to run the sim. With a nod, Gideon begins to job away, followed shortly after by Ajani.

"Keep it tight," Joker orders to Jack, who looks slightly lost.

With a smirk, I look up at the spiky haired man. "Isn't that what you tell _all_ your girlfriends?" Jay laughs with a shake of his head as we crouch beside Gideon and a few other Atlas operatives.

"_Incoming vidlink from command," _Prophet explains a moment before my father appears on the screen.

"Let's show them what Atlas can do," father begins proudly. "The KVA have been terrorizing this region for far too long. It's time to send them a message."

As he does his little speech, we run into the building before us, Gideon at the front. "A hand shake with the Prime Minister, I could turn this entire region around. So take him alive… no pressure," my father smirks. _He's far too confident in our abilities, _I think with a scoff. No one is perfect. _But we're damn close, _my brain argues cockily.

"Pressure? What pressure?" Gideon asks sarcastically, though I can tell he fully believes that this mission will be a success. And why not? He's one of the best soldiers in Atlas, with three just-as-good ones under his command.

"Good luck," my father smiles before the vidlink cuts out.

Joker tries the door, but it doesn't budge. "Locked."

"Mitchell, bust it," Gideon orders from beside me on the stairs. I glance behind me to see him less than a foot away. When he notices my gaze, he winks at me and follows Jack outside. My cheeks heat up and I roll my eyes.

"My men are in position," Ajani confirms to Gideon. We all stop and watch the scene unfold before us for a moment, then Gideon jumps back into action.

"No one fires unless we give the word," he orders firmly, staring Ajani down. The man nods and voices his understanding. "Let's go." I turn to follow as the men climb onto an AC unit and then onto train tracks.

Letting out a steady breath, I give a quick glance over the side. _That's a long way down. _"I got'cha, Sammy," Jack grins as he stops beside me. Giving him a grateful smile, we follow the others as they rush across the tracks. We jump off the side and land on a roof, then jump off of that.

Gideon approaches the wall, looking at it thoughtfully. "Mag grips on. Up the wall," he says before launching himself at it. I watch as he pulls himself up, like a superhero in a comic book. Adjusting my gloves, I let Jack go first. I hold my breath for a moment, worried about his arm. He continues to ascend without problems. "Move around that window. Your gloves won't stick to it," Gideon explains to Jack as he reaches the top. With a few deep breathes to steady myself, I run and jump up. A laugh of glee escapes my lips as I scale the smooth wall.

"Don't look down, don't look down," I chant quietly as I reach the top. Gideon pulls me over and I nod in thanks. Joker helps Ajani up and we all wait for Jack to put the mute charge in place. As soon as it's been activated to keep the KVA in the conference room from hearing us, Gideon places another device down. I watch in fascination as it cuts a circle through the roof. _Just like in Seoul. _Quickly banishing the thought, I jump down after Gideon and Jack, my ARX raised and ready.

Taking out a few hostiles hiding behind the desk, I straighten when Joker gives the 'all clear' signal. We rush through the building, toward the conference room. "Hostage room, one hundred meters. This way," Joker says as he leads us to the back.

"Prophet, we've cleared the perimeter building and are moving to the X," Gideon relays quietly.

"_Copy, two-one."_

I come to a stop beside Ajani as Jack runs forward. "Let's take a look. Joker, Mitchell, you're up." The two men quickly set up the harmonic device while the others and I look on quietly.

"What in be this?" Ajani asks lowly in wonder.

Gideon glances to us as he answers. "Harmonic pulse. Reads biodensity through pretty much anything."

"Show time," Jay announces when they've finished putting everything in place.

"Alright Mitchell, you're our eyes. Recon shows four KVA in the room. Mark 'em."

When Jack finishes pacing around in front of the small one-way window, Joker confirms, "all hostiles are tagged."

"On your go, Mitchell," Gideon says, aiming for one of the far red targets. I blink a few times in disbelief before raising my weapon as well. Ajani stands there, looking at us in confusion. _Guess he can't see what we're seeing, _I deduce. As soon as Jack's weapon goes off, the rest of us quickly take out the targets. "All targets down," Gideon verifies as he kicks open the door.

Wordlessly, I rush in, checking the room. "Atlas rescue force! Nobody move!"

"Looks like Hades bailed," Joker says in a sad tone.

Gideon shoots him a warning look. "Not our problem."

I walk over and help a fallen hostage to his feet. He looks out me with wide eyes, but verbally thanks me nonetheless. I go over to a clear place and crouch, waiting for further orders. At Gideon's command, Jack unties the PM. "They've taken all the hostages. The technologists from our summit. The KVA wanted them, not us!" The PM quickly explains.

"Ajani!" Gideon barks.

Said man stutters into his radio. "Eh, eh, what?" He looks up at Gideon. "My men just spotted them in a box truck."

"Color!"

"Eh, eh, what color? White!"

Gideon's annoyance and impatience is made obvious in his tone. "Position!"

The flustered Captain relays the question into his radio. "They're leaving Downtown," Ajani answers.

"Alright, let's move." He looks from me to Jack to Joker. "Alpha team will secure the site." Turning to the PM, he puts a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Sir, you'll be safe here."

"Thank you soldier," the PM replies gratefully before going over to the dead man at the table.

"On me," Gideon calls with a nod, jerking his head to the stairs on the other side of the room. We follow quietly, crossing the deserted street and entering a busy building.

"_Two-one," _Prophet's voice fills the radio suddenly. _"We have a traffic cam feed on a white box truck on Independence Road moving southwest of your position," _he explains as a transmission with a map and the target objective appears in the corner.

Gideon acknowledges the given information as we weave through confused civilians. "Fuckin' rush hour," Joker grumbles when we make our way onto the street.

"Nigerian Army!" Ajani shouts as he rushes down the steps. "Out of the way!"

Noticing movement across the busy intersection, I shout, "RPG!" before ducking behind a low cement wall for cover. Joker throws himself beside me, panting rapidly. He nods once and we jump up, shooting at the KVA across the plaza.

"Come out of the road!" Ajani shouts, helping the civilians get out of the firefight.

I watch in confusion and horror as Jack runs past us and closer to the enemies. "On top of the bus!" Gideon shouts, just as confused as us. I want to ask what the hell he's doing, but a bullet hitting my shoulder stops me. A scream of pain escapes my lips.

"Shit! Sam's down, boss!" Joker curses beside me, continuing to take out a couple guys as I lean against the wall again. Gideon is at my side like lightening. With wide and calm eyes, he moves everything that's in the way to get a better look.

With my heart beating erratically and my body in immense pain, I look up at him. _If I lean a little closer, I can kiss him. _My cheeks immediately flush at the ridiculous thought, which I'm sure he takes as a bad sign. Grabbing him forearm, I wait for his eyes to meet mine. "Gideon, it's fine. The bullet grazed my shoulder," I explain in what's probably an annoyingly calm voice. After the Brit checks to make sure my statement is true, he sighs shakily.

"Little blood, but that's it. Can you shoot?" Gideon asks as he begins to quickly dress the wound. I nod, raising my left arm with ease and rolling my wrist around, indicating that I'm left-handed. "Don't put too much strain on your shoulder until we can get you to a doctor," the Brit instructs. "Stick close to me."

_With pleasure, _that weird low voice in my mind replies. This really has to stop. Gideon wraps an arm around my middle and lifts me to my feet easily. "Clear!" Jack shouts as he kills the last remaining KVA soldier. I stop and look around, right arm limply hanging at my side. The area is void of any enemies and everything is silent. Joker and Jack meet us, eyes inspecting me.

"I'm fine," I insist. "Let's go."

Ajani rushes away from us, pointing towards some buildings. "We can take a shortcut through the alleys!" Gideon nods and follows quickly, me on his heels.

"_Two-one, target truck's on the move, half a click due south," _Prophet updates us as we run through the alley.

Gideon ducks through an open fence. "Copy, we're on it," he says as we dive for cover when bullets start flying. "In here!" He shouts over the gunfire, pulling me along by my ARX-clad arm. We duck inside an electronics store, taking out the enemies on the upper levels. I hiss in pain when I try to ADS using both my arms. "Sam, just hipfire," Gideon advises, not looking in my direction. Taking his suggestion, I don't look down the sights, instead using one arm to shoot. It's difficult, but I manage to hit a couple guys.

Jay rushes past the store, running straight to the building across from us, where three or four hostiles are hiding. "Joker!" I shout in panic. My voice catches their attention and they begin shooting at me and Gideon, giving Jay a chance to throw a Smart Grenade through the window. He ducks just below it, taking cover against the wall. The grenade explodes, sending bodies and smaller pieces flying.

"Woo!" Jay shouts triumphantly, on an adrenaline high, no doubt. I laugh a little at his ridiculously reckless move before turning to take out a few more. Jack moves from his cover when the enemies are all down, and we push forward.

"Through the gate here," Ajani says as he continues ahead of us. We stop, crouching down as Joker runs up.

"I've got it," he kicks the control box in before pulling the gate open. Gideon hurries ahead and I run next to him.

We stop suddenly when an armored truck carrying a turret comes barreling towards us. "Incoming!" Gideon shouts, sliding in the dirt and doing a 180 as he scrambles not to get cut up by the machine gun. I watch his graceful moves in awe, only snapping back into action when he runs past, taking me with him. "Hook right, hook right!" He orders, practically pushing me up the stairs.

"Independent Road is through here!" Ajani directs, jumping off the side of the building to the area below. I follow Jack, throwing him a grateful smile when he softens my fall slightly. We continue through the courtyard, ascending another set of stairs. Gideon and Joker easily eliminate the enemies hiding in the room. Catching up to Gideon, I gasp in shock when the armored car zooms up suddenly, cutting us off.

"Technical!" Joker shouts helpfully. The Brit pushes me behind him as we quickly dive into the building to avoid getting hit. "That turret's armored. We're gonna have to flank it!"

Gideon and I hide in the building as the turret relentlessly fires at us. "Mitchell, flank the technical!" He orders, standing and firing as soon as the turret focuses elsewhere. Jack cuts through the open area, dodging civilians. I watch as he comes face to face with an enemy, quickly punching the guy. The enemy goes flying back because of the force, making me instantly think that it's something out of a movie. Jay runs up with him, covering Jack as he gets behind the turret. A few shots later and the firing ceases. We take out the rest of the KVA forces and run over to Jack and Joker.

"Decent work, Mitchell," Gideon nods as we come to a stop.

Leaning over, I whisper loudly enough for the Brit to hear me. "He never compliments anyone— must like you." At my jab, Jay lets out a loud snort, chuckling to himself. Jack isn't sure what to make of my joke, so he smiles and goes to work reloading his weapon. Gideon is staring at me intensely until Prophet comes in, breaking his gaze.

"_Two-one, target truck progressing west on Liberty Highway, 500 meters."_

"We're close!" Ajani says, running up.

Gideon pauses, staring ahead. "We need to get over this wall." My eyes widen at his words and I stand there while Ajani, Jay and Jack quickly scale the wall. "Fuck," Gideon curses when he notices my hesitance and remembers my arm. "Can you climb it?" He asks, already a few feet off the ground. Gulping, I move my arm slightly. Pain courses through me and I wince.

"Uh… yeah, I think so."

He gives me an unconvinced look. "You could try go through some buildings, but—"

"Don't worry about me," I wave him off. Irritation flashes in his eyes when I cut him off suddenly. Activating my mag grips, I sigh. "This is gonna hurt like hell," I mutter.

"Is Sam okay?" I hear Jack shout from the other side of the wall. _Fuck, I'm holding everybody up, _I cringe as the realization hits me.

"Yeah, I'm alright," I answer back. Looking up at Gideon, who still hasn't moved, I jerk my head. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up."

"Not leavin' without ya, love," he replies quietly. My heart skips a beat at the pet name. _Damn him. _I watch in confusion as he jumps down to my side. "So what do you want to do 'bout this?" He asks, gesturing to my arm.

"Clock's tickin', boss!" Joker yells hurriedly. "I'll wait with ya if ya want, doll," he offers.

Shaking my head, I sigh. "I just need to do this myself."

Gideon objects instantly. "You could tear the muscle."

"Or let the technologist get away," I counter. "Look, if you're so worried, stand here and catch me if I fall."

The smirk that covers his face has me briefly reconsider my proposition. "Deal."

I roll my eyes and turn back to the wall. "Alrighty." Jumping up, I put my hands on the wall, screaming in pain as the movement upsets my arm.

"Sammy?" Jack panics. "What's going on?"

Gideon shifts anxiously below me, not thrilled with the idea any longer. "She's almost to the top, mate."

"It really fucking hurts," I whimper, more to myself than anyone else. Gideon curses again before climbing the wall beside me. "Gonna let me fall to my death?" I ask jokingly as he passes me.

"Shut up and focus, Samantha," the Brit responds with an eyeroll. _He's never called me that before, _I note, trying to recall a time where my full name has rolled off his lips. Coming up empty, I try to focus on his voice instead of the pain. "Almost there," he coaxes gently, swinging one leg over the top of the wall. When I'm close enough, he reaches down for my hand. "Trust me?" He asks, eyes meeting mine. Knowing the answer, I quickly pull my left hand away, crying out when all my weight goes to my right hand. Gideon locks his fingers around my forearm and pulls me up.

When I'm sitting beside him, I bite my lip. "I can't get down," I whimper. My arm tingles in pain and begins to go numb.

"What?" Joker exclaims from the bottom, where Jack is relentlessly pacing. Ajani looks up at us, troubled.

"She's afraid of heights," Jack answers, making Gideon swear again. Starting to feel useless, I close my eyes to avoid their displeased looks. "Sammy, you have to trust me."

My eyes snap open and I look at Jack as he stops pacing. His words catch my attention and I decide Gideon sounds better saying them. Hesitantly, I nod. "Okay, you've got to fall."

"What the fuck?" Gideon growls beside me. My breathing increases and I start to panic. My fear of heights has never been more prominent. Jumping down a level is easy, when I have boosters to cushion the fall and two good arms, not when we're two stories up and I feel as if my right arm is about to explode.

Releasing a shaky breath, I glance at Gideon. "They're gonna get away," I murmur to him. "It's fine," I insist. Turning to Jack, I send him a glare. "If you don't catch me, you asshole, I will kick your ass."

"I'd do it for ya, doll," Joker cuts in from his place beside Ajani.

Jack looks at me patiently. "Sammy, I'd never let you get hurt." Gideon scoffs. _"I can always wait while you take the stairs."_

His words confuse the others, but they don't confuse me. A painful memory jolts through my mind, ripping my heart open. _Will didn't give up on me._ As I recall the memory from a year prior, I remember how fearless and brave— even a little cocky— I felt. Trying to push those feelings into myself right now, I take a deep breath and close my eyes, leaning over.

The next second, I'm in Jack's arms, breathless. Shaking a little, I look up to meet his clear blue eyes. "Thanks," I mutter as he puts me on my feet. Gideon lands beside us easily and, without pausing, rushes forward toward the street. Jack smiles at me and I shake my head with a scoff. "Let's not do that again."

Everyone follows Gideon quickly. "Get across the street!" He shouts as cars go zooming by.

"The fuck?" Joker complains, stopping to spray at the enemies across the busy street. After trading bullets for a minute or so, the hostiles are all down. With a deep breath, Jay jumps out into the street when there's an opening. Ajani and Gideon follow. _Why the hell not. _Running across the busy road, I turn to see Jack nearly get hit.

"Jack!" I cry out, hurrying over when he makes it safely to us.

He bends over, hands on his knees as he steadies his breathing. "I'm good," he reassures me with a weak smile.

Gideon, all business, tosses a Smart Grenade across the next busy street at the enemies that have rushed over to stop us. "Watch yourself," he calls when they open fire. When they're all down, the Brit orders us to cross the street.

This time, with considerably more confidence, I sprint out into the street. Maybe it's because I'm trying to make up for the incident earlier. Either way, I reach the other side unharmed, but shaken up. "Whoa!" Jay shouts as he throws himself to the sidewalk next to me. "Almost road kill back there!"

"_Target truck is approaching your position," _Prophet informs over the radio just as the others join Jay and I.

"Copy that, Prophet," Gideon answers. He runs over to the fence, pulling it away from the pole. "Mitchell, on me!" At his signal, Jack steps forward, mantling the cement wall. He and Gideon crouch on it, looking at the cars racing by down below. I come up beside Jack, watching for the car.

Prophet comes onto the radio again. _"You should have eyes on the truck."_

"I see it!" Gideon announces as the white box truck goes zooming by. "Damn, no clear shot." The Brit looks to the left again before turning back to Jack. "Fuck it. Let's do this. Jump!" He shouts as he launches himself out to the street below.

"Gideon!" I shriek as he lands safely on a bus. Jack lands beside him a moment later. With an incredibly attractive smirk, Gideon gives me a two-fingered salute. I return it with a middle finger.

Joker comes over and tugs me away from the edge as he speaks into his mic. "Gideon, we've lost eyes on you!"

"_Pursuing target, southbound on the highway! Find transportation and follow," _is the reply before it goes silent.

"Fuck," I shake my head in disbelief, glancing at Jay.

"Any ideas, doll?" He asks, making me nod. Without another word, I step out into the street, arm up. The oncoming car honks loudly and swerves around a little bit before coming to a stop a few feet away from me.

"Sir, I need your car!" I shout. When the man begins to yell at me, I raise my ARX and fire a couple rounds into the sky. He gets out of the car without any resistance, and I climb into the passenger seat. "On you, Jay," I say simply as Ajani gets into the back. Joker slams the door shut and quickly makes a U-Turn to get back to the right side of the street.

Joker follows the road for a while before asking Ajani for directions to Liberty Highway. With the Captain's careful instruction, we're able to find the road Gideon and Jack are on.

"_The truck has gone off the bridge," _Prophet informs us over Jay's radio. _"Get down there and link up with Gideon and the technologist."_

I wrinkle my nose, not used to Prophet talking directly to me. "Uh, roger?" I answer as Ajani tells Jay where to go. After going through some side streets and parks, Joker finally comes to a stop. I jump out of the car instantly when I see Gideon on the shore with two bodies. Running over, I make it just in time to see Gideon slapping Jack awake.

"Oye! No dozing. Job's not over 'til I say it is."

Joker comes to a stop at the technologist's body. "Please tell me this fucker's alive," he whines, tapping the body.

"Stop stressing, he's breathing," Gideon replies as he kicks the body. "Barely."

Unable to stop myself, I grin. _Damn him and his stupid accent. _Crouching down beside Jack, I mess up his wet hair. In return, he shakes his head rapidly, causing the water still clinging to his hair to go flying onto me. I shriek as Joker continues to push Gideon's buttons. "The hell do we want with this guy, anyway?" He asks.

"Don't know, don't care." I watch the Brit's hand movements and I find myself smiling a little like an idiot. _Get it the fuck together, Sam! _"It's up to the boffins back at HQ. You get your money's worth, Ajani?" Gideon asks, directly the question toward the Captain who just ran up.

Ajani nods, weapon in hand. "You delivered exactly as promised."

Looking between Jay, Jack and I, Gideon continues. "Drinks on me tonight."

"Hell yeah," Joker grins as we stand together. He pats my left shoulder gently, smiling widely.

I smile back, turning to watch Gideon hand Jack his weapon. "You did alright, Mitchell." Jay and Gideon begin to pull and push the technologist this way and that while I help Jack up with my good arm.

"You did alright, Mitchell," I mock, using my terrible imitation.

"I heard that," Gideon calls in warning as he helps load the body into one of Ajani's trucks.

Smirking, I reply, "bummer." The ride back to the helicopter is silent, giving me a chance to catch up on some much needed rest. When we arrive, Jack gently shakes me awake. "I'm tired," I mumble as I lean against the tall man beside me. He laughs, his chest vibrating with the movement. It makes me smile.

Climbing into the helicopter beside Gideon, I rest my head against the back of the seat. "That thing still hurt?" Jay asks as he plops down across from me. The copter takes off and we begin our journey back to base.

"What do you think, dumbass?" I ask sarcastically.

"Jesus, just wonderin'. Go back to sleep," Joker complains, making us grin. Taking his suggestion, I close my eyes and fall into a dreamless sleep, going without a nightmare for the first time in months.

* * *

><p>When I'm awakened next, it's by Gideon. "Stop droolin' on my armor," he commands, but doesn't move. I raise my head, glaring at him tiredly. Knowing full well that my mouth was closed and I <em>don't drool, <em>I roll my neck and stand.

"You're cute when you sleep," Joker coos, pinching my cheeks. My left fist connects with his stomach and I laugh when he jolts back.

Gideon and Jack jump out of the helicopter, the former telling me to play nice. "He started it," I whine in a childish voice, grinning from ear to ear.

Joker straightens, pouting. "If you weren't wounded right now, I'd beat your ass."

I scoff. "In your dreams."

We place our weapons on the table. "You're always in my dreams," Jay retorts.

The banter is clearly too much for Jack, who groans and rubs his eyes. "I'll have that drink now," he tells Gideon, who's tugging off his armor.

"Right after I take Sam over to the doctors," the Brit replies, making Jay groan.

"Bros before hoes!" He whines.

Turning to face him, I glare. "You callin' me a hoe?" I challenge.

"I didn't say that," Joker begins defensively, backing up with his palms out. "You're the most gorgeous girl I've ever met. You're funny and loyal and smart and talented and please don't hurt me," he rambles.

Still glaring, I retort, "you're lucky I'm wounded right now."

From somewhere behind me, I hear Jack quietly ask if we're always like this. Gideon laughs and replies, "all the fuckin' time. It grows on ya." With another laugh, he speaks again, this time louder. "Alright, Sam. Ease up. Let's go get your arm checked out."

I give Joker the 'I'm watching you' hand gesture with narrowed eyes, before turning to skip after Gideon. "See ya later, Jack," I smile, giving him a one-armed hug, which he carefully returns. "It was good to fight with you again," I mumble into his shirt.

"You too, Sammy," he replies before letting me go. I meet up with Gideon, who's waiting against the side of the building. _He's doing that thing again, _the low voice in my head moans when I take in Gideon's position. He brings his leg down to the ground and uncrosses his arms, nodding toward the medical building.

After walking quietly together for a couple minutes, he breaks the silence. "You did great out there," Gideon praises quietly, hands stuffed into his pockets.

"Fishing for compliments, are we?" I joke with a raised brow. The Brit looks at me before shaking his head, a laugh escaping his lips.

"I mean it," he says seriously. I nod my head in thanks, letting the conversation die down. We enter the building when he speaks again, this time in a whisper, almost like he doesn't want me to hear. "You didn't tell me you're afraid of heights."

Biting the inside of my cheek, I shrug, causing a jolt of pain to run through my body. Pushing the pain back, I verbally answer. "There's a lot I'm afraid of."

Gideon raises a brow. "Like what?" He asks curiously. _What you're doing to me, _I answer mentally. A blush covers my cheeks.

Ducking my head, I answer to the ground. "Uh, spiders. Funerals. Clowns. Being alone." Gideon stops at the last one, turning to stare at me intently. "But, uh, please don't tell anybody," I add with a nervous chuckle.

"I won't," he promises after a moment of looking at me. _Well, it's now or never. _We continue walking to the where the doctors' offices are located, on the east side of the building.

"Hey, Gideon?" I ask uncertainly, trying to arrange my thoughts. We turn down a different hallway and I notice that we've arrive at our destination. At his 'hm', I take a deep breath. "Are you alright?" He stops again and I watch as his back tenses at the question. "I mean, you've been acting a little weird lately, and we're worried about you, so I figured I'd ask…" I trail off, looking away quickly. _Awkward, much?_

"How have I been acting?" The Brit asks, turning to face me with narrowed eyes. _Typical guy, _I scoff mentally. _Never know what the hell they're doing._

Shifting uncomfortably, I answer. "Well, you've been kind of… bipolar… and you punched Jack in the face on his first day," I explain, getting heated at the memory. "What was _that _all about?"

I hold my breath when he suddenly steps up to me, eyes searching mine. _He's only a couple inches taller than me, _I note as he stares into my soul. I want to back up, or at least tell him that we're in the middle of a hallway and getting in peoples' way. "I punched him cause I was mad at him," Gideon answers simply, unaffected by our close proximity.

_Is he doing this to intimidate me? _I wonder silently. Blinking, I lick my lips. _It sure is working. _"Why were you mad at him? He hasn't done anything to you," I defend my best friend.

"It's what he did to _you _that made me mad," Gideon corrects quietly, unmoving. _Back the fuck up already, Sam. This is getting weird._

Frowning, I try to make sense of that answer. "But why were you—" I never get a chance to finish that sentence.

My heart skips a beat as Gideon closes the distance between us, pressing his lips to mine. His hands instantly go to my waist to hold me in place as I close my eyes. _What the literal fuck, _my mind screeches as warning lights and sirens begin to go off. _This is really confusing, _a voice in my head comments. After a moment, I realize that I've been standing like a statue. Tilting my head upward to get better leverage, I kiss back feverishly. My left arm quickly goes up to wrap around his neck as he pulls me against him.

_Uh, hallway, remember? _a voice informs. Tuning it out, I stand on my toes to get to his height. I'm not sure when I opened my mouth, or when Gideon started tugging at my shirt, but just as his hand reaches my brown locks, he throws himself back roughly.

My eyes snap open and I stand panting in the middle of the hallway, watching Gideon disappear quickly around the corner.


	5. Fission

**Jjadra: It's pretty interesting, isn't it? Lol. I couldn't resist. And we're only on the fourth mission! Aw, well, thank you! *Blushes* Glad you like it so much (: I'm super happy to hear that you think she's alright. I feel like Sam's too flirty and all over the place. Well, you're picking up right haha. They've got a brother/sister relationship, or the relationship I'd imagine two would have after being best friends since childhood. Joker is just so mysterious; it gets hard to write him sometimes. He's only in the first few missions, and not much is known about him. That's why I usually go off of Harper in the Black Ops 2 campaign, since they're so similar (in my mind, at least lol). It's very fun coming up with jokes and play-fighting scenes for him and Sam. Thanks for stickin' with me!**

**Embemxrabbit: I definitely agree; their chemistry is just so fun. Ah, that. I'm really excited that somebody picked up on that— it was pretty subtle. Just remember, Gideon doesn't hate or dislike Jack. And as for Jack, I will openly admit that he's just being a good best friend (….right now, at least…..hehehe…). Wow, your review made me realize what a slut Sam is. *Cringe* I'm gonna fix that ASAP! I'm thrilled that you think I'm keeping them in character; I'm extremely self-conscious about that. Oh man, the tension is gonna be unbelievable in this chapter because of his actions— so much fun! Your reviews always make me laugh, so thanks! And thank you for understanding (: Hope you enjoy this chap as well.**

**Guest named J: Keep ya pants on, we're only just beginning lol. Thanks for checking the story out! Your wait is over, here's chapter 5 (:**

**Guest: Awwh, thank ya! I'm glad you love it. I'm curious to know, are you leaning towards a specific pairing? If so, which one? You don't need to answer but I'd love it if you did! *Bats eyelashes***

**PFC. Awesomeness: Yes, mission accomplished! It was intense for a reason, and that reason will hopefully be discussed in this chapter. Just remember, things will be moving a little slow, GideonxSam-wise. Builds up the anticipation and suspense, in my opinion lol. And no problemo— Jack's the main character, so he's gonna be in it a lot (plus, he's hot and awesome, not to mention the other main character's best friend, hehe). I'm really, really trying with the updates, I promise! I'm really determined to get this all written out and completed. Since it'll be sticking to the campaign, I'd imagine there'll be around 30 (?) chapters. *Sigh of relief* Enjoy the chapter, and thanks for bein' an awesome reader!**

**Kirabaros: I'm really happy you like it! Thank you! I've read too many first person POV stories that just overwhelm the reader, simply because of the perspective. I'm glad you think I don't do that. Third person is really just not my thing. Sometimes first person is a tad restricting, though. Sam is observant and very perceptive, but she doesn't notice everything (especially things that have a huge impact on the story…cough cough). Thank you again for letting me know what you think of the story! I hope you'll continue to like it as it progresses. Let me know if you see anything out of place or weird!**

**Jp33: You're welcome! I'm not a huge fan of slash, but I don't mind it. You kinda need to not mind if you wanna read an Advanced Warfare story lol. I'm glad you like Sam! And I'm not quite sure what Fenris-Mode means *facepalm* but I'm gonna assume it's a good thing? If you've got anything specific you want to see, don't hesitate to say it. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! (:**

**Aubrey1207: Sorry if it wasn't good! I just could not resist any longer! *Dramatic failing and sobbing* I'm glad it's still got that movie-feel to it, and I'm glad you love the story (: Yep, Jack's feelings are a little hush-hush right now (partially cause they don't exist… spoiler alert? Oops x.x) Here's chapter five, and I'm sorry for the delay! Please don't be mad at me!**

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Hey everyone, what's up? Surprised to see an update? Yeah, me too lol. So this week has been craaaazaayy for me. On Wednesday, it was so cold my car wouldn't start, so I got to stay home. Then on Thursday and Friday, school got cancelled! Yay! I gotta admit, this chapter was suppose to be done on like Tuesday or Wednesday, not freakin' Sunday. Goddamn, Mia, get your shit together! I was a little preoccupied with getting Platinum for Advanced Warfare on my PS3, but that's a shitty excuse. This week is the last week of Semester One, so I'll be putting 110% into my school work (hopefully) to try and keep my grades up. So don't expect an update any time soon after this— sorry! I'm behind on my mental schedule for this story and it doesn't surprise me at all. I hope none of you hate me or anything like that; I really don't try to procrastinate! It's just in my nature, I guess. Anywho, I've been wondering a couple things: 1. Which pairing is your favorite and why? 2. Should I do a mission every other chapter, and in between have non-campaign ones? I'd love to hear feedback on this you guys, so let me know! Have a wonderful week and stay warm (if you're having terrible weather, like I am)!<strong>

**Side Note: This is more for me so I can keep everything straight, but I'll put it here anyways. In 2054, Gideon is 39, Jack is 27, and Ilona and Sam are 25. Joker's age is unknown, but I'm guessing he's in his late-twenties/early-thirties, with Jack .It's kind of confusing because of the fact that the Advanced Warfare campaign stretches across a number of years, but hopefully this clears up the confusion. **_**Thanks to Call of Duty Wikia for being the real MVP and helping me with all the facts and dates and little things. I'd be nowhere without you!**_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC, Samantha Irons. Everything/everyone else belongs to Sledgehammer Games, Activision, High Moon, Raven, and anyone else I missed. All rights go to their respective owners; I'm writing this purely for entertainment.**

**Warning: The following chapters contain spoilers for the game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Read at your own discretion.**

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><p>"<em>Life with Atlas was nothing like the Marines… but I wasn't complaining." – Jack Mitchell<em>

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><p>April 28th, 2055<p>

Taking a sip of the whiskey in my glass, I let my head fall against the wall with a quiet _thud. _I have to suppress the sigh of boredom that bubbles up in my chest as I watch the television screen with barely any interest. Jack and Joker, however, can't tear their eyes away. Some kind of sport thing; I don't know. Jay sits on one of his chairs, while Jack and I have taken up residence on the bed. _Do _not _think about what Joker has done in the same spot you're currently in, _I strictly command myself, shuddering a little. Jack taps my leg and I obediently retract the limbs, removing them from his lap. I watch as he stands and swaps his empty beer bottle for a new one, before returning to his spot. With my knees pulled to my chest, I sit facing him. The tall brunette senses my lingering gaze and turns his head slightly to look at me.

"How's the shoulder?" He asks gently, not wanting to disturb Jay, who's literally on the edge of his seat. I shrug my good shoulder, giving what I hope is a convincing smile.

"Getting better. I can actually use the damn thing now."

Jack nods. "That's good." His eyes dart away for a moment and he bites the inside of his cheek.

Narrowing my eyes, I lean forward slightly. "What?"

Immediately, Jack goes into defensive mode. "I didn't say anything."

"But you want to," I counter, curious now. _What's he thinking? _I wonder as I look at the man a few feet away.

Said man sighs, head drooping. "Something's up, Sammy, I just gotta figure out what it is."

"What do you mean?" I ask with furrowed brows. My head tilts slightly— a habit I'd unintentionally picked up from Jack. Before he can answer, the door opens and Gideon walks in, without his beanie. My eyes go straight to the gray-black hair that I know is extremely soft. The blush jumps across my cheeks before I can stop it and I stare at my glass instead. If only I'd known Jack was watching me the entire time.

"Hey, boss," Jay greets, not looking away from the screen. Jack says hi as well, and I listen as a chair scrapes against the floor. They begin talking about whatever they're watching while I internally argue with myself. _Just leave right now, _one side hisses. _Then it'll be obvious, _the other side protests.

My silent struggle goes unnoticed by the men in the room, until Jay sees my empty glass. I jump slightly when I feel Jack's long fingers on my leg. "Hm?" I ask with a raised brow, glancing between Jack and Jay, skipping Gideon completely. _Real smooth, _my brain scoffs.

"I asked if ya wanted another," Jay repeats, gesturing to the glass. I eagerly nod, holding out the object. I thank the spiky-haired man when it's returned to me halfway full. _Nothing like a little liquid courage, _I think to myself with a smirk, tipping the glass back. "Want the bottle instead?" Joker asks with an expression crossed between amusement and shock.

I shake my head. "Nah, I'll be alright with this."

He laughs and goes back to watching the tv. My eyes wander over to the Brit at the table. He's sitting on the chair backwards, muscular arms slung carelessly over the back, beer in hand. _Practically the definition of unreadable, _I groan. That confusing moment in the medical building a month ago hasn't left my mind, no matter how hard I try to make it. Everything about it makes my head spin. _Why did he do that? _I'd spend forever trying to figure that one out. But the most baffling question of all was _why did I react like that? _It's no secret, Gideon is pretty decent looking. _Admit that he's hot, _a voice in my head whines. Rubbing my aching temple, I take another sip.

My cheeks light up when I realize I've been staring at the Brit the entire time. To hide it, I take another gulp. _Empty._ Putting the glass on the shelf above the bed, amongst the other bottles, I rub my eyes. _Drinking doesn't kill the memories, Samantha. You need to face this. _A sigh escapes my lips and when I open my eyes, Jack is looking at me curiously. His clear blue eyes search my face for something, but when he comes up empty, it's his turn to sigh. I gratefully accept the beer from his outstretched hand, toasting slightly before knocking it back.

The Narrator's voice comes over the speakers and my attention turns from the alcohol to the screen. Jay's up and standing in front of it, effectively blocking a good portion from me. _Operation Lasso _appears in clear letters under the Atlas logo, making me turn my body so it's facing the screen. "With lives hanging in the balance," Narrator begins, "Atlas forces moved in swiftly to rescue the hostages."

As Narrator, well, _narrates _the past mission, the screen switches between different clips of us in action. I bite my lip to keep from grinning as the camera does a close up on Gideon's face as he signals us to keep moving. Jay laughs, shaking his head slightly.

"Goddammit, Gideon, I didn't know you were a movie star," he chuckles, still watching the screen.

The Brit smirks. "Easy now. I know it's probably the first time your backwoods hill-billy ass has seen something with a full set of teeth," he holds up him palms for a moment, laughing with me. "But don't get carried away." Jack shakes his head and looks down, but I can see the smile on his lips.

Relentless, Jay holds up hand that's gripping a beer bottle, pointing at Gideon. "Well that's funny, because that's what your mom… Holy…" he trails off as a clip from Jack's camera plays. I watch with wide eyes as he rips the driver from the truck and tosses him to the side. I wince as the body clashes brutally with a pole. "Did you see that shit?" Jay asks in disbelief as he tosses Jack a beer.

Jack opens it, quickly taking a drink. "Not bad, right?" He asks rhetorically, one foot propped up on the bed. I lean back, continuing to watch the footage from the mission. I cringe a little when it shows me.

"You got lucky," Gideon remarks as Jay messes with the feed. "The KVA's getting better every day."

Leaning forward, Jack motions to the screen with his beer. "What ever happened to that guy we pulled out of the drink anyway, huh?"

I watch silently as Gideon shrugs, making his muscles tense and flex. _Get it together, idiot. _"Irons took that one on. Fine by me."

We turn to look at Joker as he fangirls a little more. "Badass, man. Fuckin' badass."

Jumping up to my feet, I stand at attention when I notice my father in the doorway. Jack and Gideon quickly follow. Dad comes in casually, nodding to us. "As you were. As you were."

Stepping forward, Gideon is the first to speak. "Was there something we could help you with, sir?"

My father turns to the shelf, pausing a moment before picking up a full bottle of whiskey. "Well a glass would be a start," he answers with a grin.

I smile a little, watching Gideon grab a couple glasses from a different shelf. "I'll do ya one better. Gather round, gents," he says as he flips the chair around. Jack and I sit back on the bed while Jay pulls up another chair.

My father begins to pour the drinks and clears his throat. _Aw man, a speech, _I whine mentally, sensing what's about to happen. My suspicions are proved correct when he begins a moment later. "There's an old military saying, 'you treat your men like you would your own beloved sons, and they'll follow you into the deepest valley'." He glances between the four of us and I can see the pride in his eyes. My heart swells at the fact that I made that happen— my father is _proud_ of _me. _

"I lost my son," he continues, making Jack and I drop our gazes. "And it taught me the importance of seizing the moment, of saying what needs to be said when you have the chance." He picks up his glass, nodding firmly. "You gentlemen— and women—" my father adds, smiling at me. "—did a hell of a job out there. Lagos has opened up a fantastic opportunity for Atlas— and for that, I am grateful." He raises his shot and we all follow suit, toasting. "To you, gentlemen and women," he finishes as we clink our glasses together.

I lean back on the bed, shot long gone. My eyes follow the movements of the others. Jack looks reserved as always, but there's something different. _He feels like he owes my father, _I realize as he accepts the second round respectfully. Jay enjoys the alcohol, tipping the glass back without hesitation. _It's a miracle that shit even affects him anymore. _Gideon remains calm and polite, the perfect soldier. _What wouldn't he do for my father? _I wonder to myself as I watch the trio interact. My father smiles and talks openly, as if these men are old friends. It takes a few moments, but I decide that he's in business mode. That bit about treating soldiers like sons— was it a dig at Will? My blood begins to boil when I think of my father still harboring negative feelings for his deceased son. _Is he replacing Will with more obedient and loyal soldiers? _With a frown, I conclude that he wouldn't hesitate to do so. Biting my tongue to keep myself in check, I bump my shoulder with Jack's playfully, giving him a look that says I need to talk to him.

When I look away from Jack, my eyes meet Gideon's. He looks perplexed for some reason. Only after I raise my eyebrows does he snap out of his trance, looking away quickly. _Can't hide forever, _I sigh, repeating my thoughts from earlier. Whether I want to or not, I need to address that… kiss.

But for now, I'll enjoy the peace and company. I won't let my wandering thoughts ruin the moment. I won't let the feeling that something bad is going to happen keep me from enjoying this.

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><p>"<em>It felt good to celebrate. But Gideon was right. We just got lucky. But the KVA was getting better, and thinking bigger, every day." –Jack Mitchell<em>

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><p>"<em>People of the world, you have hidden behind the protection of technology. Technology is a cancer. I am here to liberate you from this cancer. The world must be reset to its natural state. I am Hades, and I am your savior."<em>

_End of Transmission _signals the end of the video, so I set the computer off to the side. My thoughts are in a jumble as I recall what Hades said. _He's becoming a big threat, _I think to myself. _The question is, how big?_ As soon as we got the call about what was going on in Washington, we saddled up and hopped on the closest helicopter. I shift in anticipation beside Jack, who looks as antsy as I feel. Gideon, with one hand locked around a handle to steady himself, messes with a screen for a moment. A map appears in the air and Gideon turns to us, glancing between Jack, me, Jay and Carter, a kid a few years younger than I. "Everyone seein' this?" Hearing no objections, he continues. "Alright," he says as he takes a step forward, letting go of the handle. "We have actionable intel that the KVA are trying to trigger a meltdown in the reactor building." I lean forward to get a better view of the map as Gideon points to different locations. "We're inserting in the south courtyard and we'll push north. This shit ends in the control room."

The map disappears and Gideon opens the door. "Get in position!" He orders over the sudden loudness. I stand, fingers locked in a death grip around Jack's arm, as I lean slightly out of the plane to look at the rushing waters below. All around us, Warbirds disengage their stealth, appearing out of thin air. "It's gonna be a good one, Sam," Gideon shouts as he leans against the open door. "Just like Korea, but with more radiation."

Jack nods in acknowledgment as we look at the scenery like tourists. The Warbird jerks upward, making us quickly cling to the handles above our heads. A moment later, the plane begins to tip and sway in the air, dodging incoming missiles.

"Hold on!" Gideon commands just as a Warbird explodes in our faces. It flies toward us before jerking back and crashing into a building. The comms are practically blowing up with all the activity. Shouting and commands are being thrown this way and that, so I focus on one familiar voice instead. "Clear out those rooftops," the voice shouts and I grab my rifle without hesitant. Perhaps my expression is a little too joyful, because Jack gives me a concerned look as he crouches beside me. Picking off the enemies below us is like being at the range. Their shots are sloppy and rushed, making hardly any of them connect with our Warbird. "Mitchell, hit those tangos on the roof!" Gideon orders. Not a second later, Jack is pulling the trigger and taking down the enemies as well. When given the all-clear, Gideon jumps into action grabbing a launcher and preparing to shoot his zipline. "Let's do this! Deploy your lines!" He tells us before zooming off to the ground below. He lands on the ground safely, turning around and motioning for me to go next.

Taking a deep breath, I hook up to the launcher and grip my rifle tightly as I jump off the side. Wind rushes through my pull-back hair and I'm momentarily unable to breathe. The initial fear is over as soon as my boots touch the ground, but I remain shaky. "Let's go," Gideon commands softly, undoing my straps from the line. As soon as I'm free, I rush forward— and it's _not _because I want to get away from the Captain and avoid any more awkward tension. _Well, maybe a little, _I think to myself as I readjust my weapons and grenades.

"Alpha, we are boots on the ground, coming in at your three o'clock!" Gideon informs over the radio as everyone gathers on the ground.

Another Atlas soldier nods at us, tossing me a grenade belt. "Welcome to the party, Bravo!" He greets before turning and continuing to fire at the enemies.

Gideon signals us to rally up, so we huddle behind a building, out of the line of fire. "Looks like Alpha is knee deep!" He shouts over the roar of gunfire and explosions. "We'll push forward with them to the target building!"

On his cue, we separate and begin to push forward with the others. I quickly hook up to a shield, glad for a little bit of protection. "Yes sir!" Jay nods before sprinting off with Jack. I pause for a moment, watching them go across the destroyed street and work their way up from the left side. After a few minutes of firing and going through the motions, Jay begins shouting over the radio. _"Boss, that MT is still functional!"_ I look to the left, noticing what he's talking about.

Gideon replies back instantly. "_Then someone get their ass on it!"_ Giving a quick nod to Carter, I dart away from him and out into the open. Bullets spray up around me and there are a few close calls. "_What the fuck are you doing, Irons?"_ Gideon asks— more like yells— me when he notices my mad dash across the chaotic street.

"My job, sir!" I reply breathlessly, jumping into the unoccupied turret. He told someone to use it, here I am. Pushing my rifle off to the side, I expertly use the controls. _Thank God for all those long boring classes, _I sigh in relief. If I didn't go through Basic at Atlas, I'd be sorely fucked when it comes to technology. In the Marines, they didn't teach you how to fly jets— really though, when am I ever gonna need to fly a freaking _jet?— _or use Titans, Goliaths, or any of the cool gadgets offered at Atlas. Moving forward with the members of Alpha, I continue to blast the KVA to hell.

"_Our drone operator just took one to the head!"_ Carter informs over the radio. "He's down, he's down!" Locking onto multiple targets to the right, my index finger flexes and missiles go shooting off. A ridiculously mad cackle escapes my lips as they hit their targets, sending the bodies flying.

Prophet comes on just then. _"Twenty-plus foot mobiles inbound from the northwest."_ Heeding his warning, I back the turret up a little before continuing to take out the jeeps and helicopters that rush in. Gideon tells us to keep pushing forward and I obey wordlessly. I approach the hill, relentlessly raining down on anyone that tries to move.

"_Your MT is down, Sam! Bail out, bail out!" _Gideon's voice hits my ears just as a few well-placed shells hit the exterior of the turret. It begins to catch fire and I grab my rifle before jumping up. My feet touch the ground as Gideon reaches me, tugging on my arm. My eyes widen when I see what has him so panicked. "Prophet, the KVA just rolled a Titian in the middle of the damn courtyard!" He informs as we throw ourselves behind cover.

"Shit, shit, shit," I hiss in slight panic as the enemies on foot turn their attention to us. "We're pinned down!"

On the other side of the street, Jack and Joker continue to push forward. They take out a couple enemies, giving me the chance to rise to a crouch and begin firing as well. _"Copy that Bravo, we've got eyes on a launcher near your position."_

Pausing, I scan the street for the weapon. "There!" I point to Gideon. He nods and orders Jack to grab the launcher and take out the Titan. My nose wrinkles when Jack goes rushing up, nearly getting taken out. Covering as best I can, I reload when necessary. My breath catches in anticipation as the launcher fires, the missiles exploding before hitting the Titan.

"Bastard's got a trophy system," Joker almost whines from a little ways away. "Hit it again!"

"_It's empty!" _Jack explains over the radio. I take out a few more KVA before ducking back down. Glancing around the wall, my eyes land on the ammo crate a few feet away from Carter.

"There's an ammo crate by Carter," I pipe up helpfully, watching as said man begins to wave his arms like an idiot in an attempt to capture Jack's attention. When Jack is safely across the street and the launcher is filled, he stands. Gideon, Jay and I push forward, drawing the Titan's attention away from Jack. After shooting a couple of times, the Titan falls over, destroyed.

"The Titan's down! Good job, Mitchell," Gideon says as he races forward past the rest of us. I run over to Jack's side, messing up his hair before grabbing more ammo. We continue on without Alpha toward the building as Prophet updates us on the situation.

"_Bravo team, be advised. KVA technicians have overridden the security protocol and are attempting to trigger a critical event. We have no time," _he explains, voice calm and damn near bored-sounding.

We come to a stop at the glass doors, waiting for Gideon. "Copy that Prophet, we are inbound!" Turning to us, he continues, "we gotta leg it to the control building. Let's move," he says as we burst through the doors. Sliding past the desks and metal detectors, I swing my gun around, searching for enemies. "Stay sharp," Gideon orders in a quieter tone. "Eyes out for civilians."

I step over a body carefully, bringing my gun down. "Clear," I announce when we reach the elevators.

"_Access to the lower floors through the elevator shaft," _Prophet informs helpfully.

"Roger. Let's get these doors open." Carter and Joker step forward, prying the heavy metal apart. "One at a time," Gideon adds as he backs up, getting a running start. "Let's go." I bite my lip as he launches himself down the empty shaft, clinging tightly to the cables. Jack goes second and I follow suit, eyes clenched shut the entire time. Jack grabs my elbow to help steady me when I'm at the bottom. Gideon checks the room. "Clear. Let's move," he continues when Carter and Joker join us.

I try not to let my gaze linger on the dead civilians, but the task proves difficult the farther we go into the building. _"Bravo, reactor core temperature is climbing."_

"That's bad news, right?" Joker mumbles as we advance quickly.

If Prophet heard him, he doesn't comment. _"Indicators are below normal rate, but holding."_

"Then we can still make it," Gideon insists, a look of determination in his blue eyes. Jack and I exchange a worried look. A shiver runs down my spine as we work our way through the dark hallways. _It almost feels like something out of a horror movie is about to jump out at us, _I think with a gulp. Clutching my rifle tightly, I reassure myself that if something ridiculous like that did happen, I'd be more than capable of killing it.

We go enter a room labeled 'Research and Development' and instantly the smell of blood hits me. Letting out a shaky breath, I stop and take in the dozens of bodies scattered around the room. "Goddamn massacre in here," Jay sighs.

"Keep moving," a voice whispers in my ear, startling me. Gideon's hand leaves my back and I shiver when I realize I didn't even know he put it there. Following the order, I continue ahead, staring straight in front of me. Jack releases a breath when we leave the room and I can see he's a little uneasy about the whole thing. "Junction," Gideon announces in a hushed tone.

"_Head right, through the reactor room," _Prophet directs.

As Jay and Carter go up to the front, Gideon glances back at Jack and I before continuing. "Stay together," he commands quietly, advancing. A siren loudly starts going off just then, making me jump.

"Jumpy much?" Jay laughs, though I get the feeling he's trying to ease the tension.

Going past hazmat suits and a large open door, Gideon leads the way. "Carter, get this door open." I crouch on the left side of the narrow hallway, aiming down the sights of my gun patiently. Jack and Jay mimic my movements.

"Copy."

The steel door starts opening slowly and a KVA soldier comes in, gun up and ready. He isn't expecting Gideon to be waiting a foot away. I watch in fascination as he slams the soldier's gun into his face before tossing him to the ground. "Contact!" He shouts not a moment after entering the next room. Carter follows Gideon, with me exiting last. "Go, go, go!" The Captain orders, getting the others in motion. They quickly sweep area by area, eliminating anything that so much as twitches.

"_Bravo, get through the reactor area as quickly as possible," _Prophet advises over the radio as we advance. _Does he think we're gonna take our time? _I wonder silently to myself as I shoot a few enemies in the head.

"Drones!" I call out just before ducking down. Said drones come zooming over, ruthlessly firing at the cover I'm hiding behind. I hear the call for an EMP and a moment later, one goes off. "I owe you," I sigh to Jay, giving him a fist bump. He winks before running forward with Gideon. Bringing up the rear, I pick off any enemies the others miss.

Just as the door comes into view, a hard object meets the back of my unprotected head. With a gasp of pain, I drop to the ground. Rolling onto my back, I look up at a KVA soldier. The barrel gets dangerously close to my face and for a split second I say a prayer in case I don't make it out alive. Bringing my leg back, I deliver a powerful kick to the man standing over me. He stumbles back, swearing. That gives me time to free the knife on my belt. Jumping up, I tackle the soldier. In the back of mind, I register the fact that several people are shouting my name and grenades are going off, but all I can focus on is staying alive. We struggle for the upper hand, rolling around on the floor. What the KVA soldier doesn't realize is that I _live _for this shit.

One hand goes to the man's windpipe while the other grips the knife tightly. I cry out when the guy pulls my hair. _Low blow_. Headbutting the soldier, I take his dazed vulnerability as an opportunity to wrap this up. I drag the beautiful, deadly, sharp knife across the man's throat swiftly. Sticky slick blood coats my gloves and gets on my face a little. I watch the enemy go limp under my hold. "Hey, hey, hey, hey," Jack says quickly as he runs up to me. His warm long fingers wrap around my wrists as he gently tugs me away from the dead body. "You're okay," he mutters as he gives me a hug. I don't move, don't speak, don't do _anything. _This isn't the first time I've killed someone, and it certainly won't be the last. Jack knows that, so why's he acting like this is the first time I've ever taken a life?

But as I stare at my darkened gloves, I realize I'm grateful for my best friend's caring gesture. Killing isn't easy, that's for damn sure, but it needs to be done. A good soldier can't function without accepting that. No point in letting your conscience get in the way. Eventually the reactor room goes quiet and the only thing I can hear is Jack's breathing. Gideon comes over, dark and tempting, looking like he just found Joker making out with his mother. I watch silently as he takes in the pool of blood gathering on the floor beside the body a few feet away. His gaze shifts to me and he looks me over. "What are you doin', rookie?" He asks, directing the question to Jack. Prophet comes on over the radio and tells us to keep moving toward the control room, but no one moves.

Jay and Carter come over, taking in the scene before them. "I just— Sam needed help, but I wasn't there— forget about—" Jack trails off awkwardly, mumbling to himself as he stands hurriedly. As if I'm an elderly woman who needs help doing literally everything, Jack pulls me to my feet.

Gideon glares at Mitchell. "She's a grown woman— a professional. This is what she's here to do," he growls. I blink at the sudden anger in his voice.

"Uh, boss, the control room…" Joker reminds cautiously, eyes darting between the two men.

Stepping away from the group, I grab my rifle. "Let's keep going," I add quietly. After a moment, Gideon backs off and turns around, heading for the control room. Keeping my head down, I follow after him. It'd do no good to piss him off even more.

We wordlessly leave the reactor room, continuing on to the objective. Carter whispers something to Joker and Jay responds with 'a lot of sexual frustration these days'. I can't find it in myself to give him a smartass comment, though a few come to mind. "Prophet, we're at the cargo elevator."

"_Up one floor to the main level," _Prophet directs instantly. Joker and Carter go to work setting up the cover while Jack hits the switch. Like a robot, I prepare my rifle and wait for the doors to open. I try not to think about how incredibly attractive Gideon looked when he was pissed, but it's pointless. When I give in to my wandering thoughts, it's almost like a dam burst wide open. I think about the kiss, how weird he'd been acting before, and then how he acted after. _It's what he did to _you _that made me mad. _Our conversations loop repeatedly and I remember all the fun we had training and all I can think about it how _good _it felt to kiss him and how it felt when his strong arms pulled me close and how gentle his hands were against me—

"Sam!" I'm so lost in my thoughts, I don't even notice Gideon waving his hands in front of my face. Jumping back, a blush instantly appears on my cheeks as I look at the man I'd been daydreaming about not thirty seconds before. "I'm not paying you to stand around and look pretty," the Brit adds as he gets ready.

"You're not?" I ask in confusion, crouching behind the cover next to him. "Then why am I here?"

The Brit smirks, saying nothing. Jack gets on the assault drone as ordered and we rush forward. "Exit's on the upper walkway," Gideon shouts when we enter the room.

"What?" Joker yells in response.

Their voices are muffled and I can't understand them, but I don't make an idiot of myself— cough cough, _Joker, _cough cough— by yelling randomly. "Upper walkway! Move!" Gideon repeats even louder, if that's possible. The noise makes my eardrums want to burst, but I push onward, taking out the enemies the drone missed.

"I can't hear a goddamn thing!" Joker whines. I want to smack him, but he's too far away.

Annoyance creeps into Gideon's tone as he replies, "just keep moving! We're almost there!"

"_Bravo, output just spiked."_

"We're almost there," the Brit says for the thousandth time. I groan, rubbing my temples. Just as we reach the door, the drone goes offline. I go over by Jay as we sit and wait for Jack to catch up.

Joker looks at me curiously. "Did the boss call ya pretty?" He asks in disbelief. I raise a brow when I notice how hard he's trying not to smile.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure he was talking to you." I accept the cuff with a chuckle. When Jack reaches us, he's panting. We lock eyes for the briefest of seconds, but I see all I need to. He's caught up in the action, but there's something on his mind. He definitely hasn't forgotten Gideon's outburst earlier, and I don't think he will any time soon. With a sigh, I realize that I'll have to discuss that as well. Carter opens the door and runs ahead, Gideon and me following quickly after.

"_Control room dead ahead," _Prophet says.

From beside me, Gideon nods in confirmation. "There it is!" _No shit, _I want to say, but quickly stop myself. Carter goes to open the door, but as soon as he turns the handle, the doors explode outward, sending him into the wall. The unexpected blast sends me back, stumbling into Jack. "Carter! Are you alright?" Gideon asks, checking the kid over.

"The hell just happened?" Jay shouts as he helps Carter to his feet. I remove myself from Jack's protective grip and follow Gideon into the room.

"They rigged the door," the Brit says, stating the obvious.

We file in, eyes wide and searching for any other unexpected surprises. "This console's still live," Carter wheezes, clutching his side.

"_Patch in and run diagnostics."_

Gideon looks up and nods to Jack. "Get on that console," he orders, pointing to the one across from him. I walk past them and stand with Joker, staring up at the big screens. "Prophet, you got this?" He asks.

"_Copy. We're seeing what you're seeing."_

Jay storms around, looking very much like an angry bee. "Are you attempting to look important?" I ask just as the building begins to shake.

"Okay, core temp maintaining," Gideon mumbles to himself. "Need to flood the cooling pools… wait! Levels are dropping!" As he continues, the shaking gets worse. I begin to get worried.

"_The steam release lines have been cut off," _Prophet states. Most of it goes over my head, but I gather enough to know that we definitely should _not _still be here.

Joker stumbles after a particularly strong shake. "Boss…" he warns, looking at me with wide eyes.

"Damn, it was stable just a second ago! Trying to reroute," Gideon goes on, ignoring Joker and the building that's about to crumble on top of us. I watch in alarm as the screens begin flashing and going crazy, not at all easing my nerves.

"_Gideon, core temperature is critical. Abort," _Prophet commands, trying to get through to the hardheaded Brit.

When he doesn't listen, Jay goes over, forcefully pulling on his arm. "Gideon!" He yells, surprising me. _Jay never calls him that, _I think in panic. If Jay is freaking out, I'm freaking out. Carter looks uneasy and starts heading for the door while Gideon insists he can fix everything.

"I've got this…" Gideon says, not willing to accept what's happening. He quickly pushes Jay away and the spiky haired bastard goes back to frantically pacing.

Prophet comes on over the radio again, sounding a little uneasy himself. _"We have a level 7 event. Withdraw from the area now!" _

A few tense moments pass and Gideon still hasn't given up. He slams his fists onto the surface suddenly, making Carter jump. "Shit!" He hisses, staring at the screen in front of him. I go over to him and wrap my fingers around his bicep, cringing a little when I see the blood has stained his skin.

"Gideon, we need to leave," I plead quietly. Blue eyes meet my green ones and I see reality hit him. Backing away calmly, he shakes his head. I let my hand drop, watching as he begins to walk backward. His eyes don't leave mine.

"Copy that!" Gideon answers and I can hear the frustration in his voice. "Bravo, we're about to go critical! Let's go!" He says, looking between the four of us. We hurriedly leave the crumbling building, unharmed. Stopping on the

Joker and I pause on the catwalk overlooking a hangar. "Boss, tangos are bailin' out!" He shouts, pointing to the enemies that hysterically run for safety.

"So are we!" Gideon replies, nudging me to keep moving. "Keep moving!"

I don't even think my feet are touching the ground, that's how fast I'm running. "Joker, what's your Geiger reading?" Carter shouts from somewhere to my right.

"We're good, just keep shooting!" Jay responds, pushing forward. We make it outside and I am momentarily unable to keep going because of how chaotic everything is.

Gideon comes up beside me and pulls on my arm, giving me all the encouragement I need. "Prophet, we've got KVA extraction choppers by the north towers!"

"_Affirmative, Bravo-one. We've got them on the tracker."_

A grenade hits the ground a few feet away from us, but Gideon doesn't see it. With a burst of strength, I tackle the Brit, hiding my face in the crook of his neck as the Frag goes off. Below me, Gideon is breathing deeply and his heartbeat is going wild. "Wraith two-three, we need immediate evac!" He says into the radio, eyes meeting mine. I jump up as fast as lightening, helping him to his feet.

"_Copy Bravo, inbound insertion." _I run off before he can see the blush on my cheeks. Stumbling across Jack, I ask for a clip. He tosses one to me and I begin taking out any tangos in sight.

Prophet speaks up again, bearing bad news, as always. _"Bravo, pressure readings are critical! Get your men out of there now!" _I begin to have a panic attack. _If Prophet is raising his voice, then it's really, really, really bad._

Jay runs over to us, waving his arms. "You heard the man! Keep moving!" Jack and I sprint off, not quite sure where to go. Joker links up with Carter and in the midst of all the confusion, I look sight of Gideon. "Goddamn!" Jay exclaims as the ground shakes.

"What the hell is that?" Carter asks in alarm.

Gideon appears beside me, pausing to take out a few more hostiles. "Pressure explosions! This place is goin' up!" We keep going. Even though my legs hurt, my brain hurts, my ears hurt, my head hurts— even though everything hurts, I keep running. It's a matter of life and death. "You're a damn welcome sight, two-three!" Gideon grins when the Warbird zooms over our heads, spraying down the KVA. Suddenly, the Warbird zooms away, promising to circle around. "Copy that, two-three!" Gideon acknowledges.

"Come on!" Jay whines. He looks like he's about to start stomping his feet. Carter runs past me, telling me to keep going. Pushing myself, I follow his advice and run like a bat out of hell. The KVA soldiers around us aren't even trying to shoot at us anymore; they're too busy running for their own lives. "There's out exfil!" Joker shouts, pointing at the Warbird.

Without warning, the gigantic building in front of us begins to collapse. Dust and debris flies up, making me cough. "Come on, keep moving!" Gideon shouts, pulling me along.

"Jack? Jack!" I shout, trying to find my best friend before the building comes down on top of us. As it starts to crumble, I faintly hear Jay calling out for Carter. Even if I wanted to turn back and start looking, the Brit's steel grip on my wrist prevents me from doing otherwise. He shoves me up onto the Warbird before jumping aboard himself. "Where are the others?" I yell in panic. The dust gets thicker, making it impossible to see. Taking two quick steps forward, I'm just about to launch myself from the rising plane when Gideon wraps his arms around my waist.

"You're gonna get yourself killed," he says in frustration. I keep struggling against his hold.

"Jack!" I scream, tears filling my eyes. He isn't dead. He isn't dead. _He isn't dead. _He cannot be dead. _It's Seoul all over again, _I think in fear, a sob tearing its way out of my thoat. I vaguely register that Gideon is pressing his lips to my hair, telling me to calm down, that Jack'll be okay, we're getting out alive. All I can think about is my best friend.

"_All units, get rotors on the ground and get those men out of there NOW!" _Prophet commands with a raised voice. He does nothing calm me. The Warbird circles a few times and at some point I've gone limp against Gideon's chest. Tears flow freely from my eyes, creating a waterfall. Everything is blurred, so I don't see the motionless body among the piles of rubble.

"There he is!" Gideon shouts. "Take us down," he tells the pilot. As the Warbird lowers, Joker announces over the radio that Carter is dead, which only makes me cry harder. "Prophet, Atlas team is evacuating! Area is compromised!"

Gideon releases me and I sink to my knees, crawling to the open door. "Mitchell, come on!" He shouts to a dazed and half-conscious Jack. "Get onboard, now!"

Sobbing, I grab one of Jack's outstretched hands, while Gideon takes the other. We pull him to safety, circling around until Gideon and the pilots find Jay. As soon as Jack hits the floor, I lock my arms around him. "I fucking hate you," I cry, sniffing. "Don't ever do that to me again."

Jack rests a hand on my cheek and kisses my forehead. "Wouldn't dream of it, Sammy. We're okay." We hold each other as Jay and Gideon drag Carter's body onto the Warbird. His lifeless eyes make the waterworks start up again. The trip back is silent, except for my occasional sniffle and the pilots talking. With Jack on one side, and Gideon on the other, I thank God for letting my closest friends come out alive.

Somewhere along the way, Gideon slips his fingers between mine. Jack's sleeping against my shoulder, so he obviously doesn't see it, but Jay does. He's too worn out and sad to comment, though. So I sit quietly, holding hands with the moody, snarky, attractive, caring Brit beside me. I don't dare to look at him, for fear of what I'll see. What the fuck am I getting myself into?


	6. No More Secrets

**GirlNamedJohnny: Well shoot *blushes* glad you like the story so much! The fangirl feels will be all over the place for this chapter too, I believe. It's gonna be a lot of fun. So you're shipping both? Or just Gideon and Sam? I'd comment on the Jack getting hurt/upset bit, but that might spoil it just a tad too much. So you'll have to wait! Sorry; it's all out of love lol. Ooh there's where that came from! Gideon is gonna get pretty emotional soon (not necessarily the sad/sappy/lovey-dovey "emotional") and it'll all be made clear. Well, maybe not all of it. I'm gonna stop talking before I blow the whole damn surprise. Gotta say, I agree with you the most out of all the comments on it. It seems like non-campaign chapters would really fuck not only myself up, but the readers as well. Plus, I'm not that creative. When I began planning this story, there were hardly any non-campaign chapters, and there definitely wasn't a huge romance thing. Things change, I suppose. Thanks for stickin' with me! Hope you like this chapter! **

**Jp33: *Squeals excitedly* I'm super happy you liked that part! I was really nervous about it. Hopefully it wasn't too lame or boring. Originally, I had Sam step in and defend Jack when Gideon snaps at him (she straight up yelled at Gideon and told him to back off), but I ended up changing it because Sam really wouldn't do that. She's protective, definitely, but she wouldn't step out of line and disrespect her CO. She really likes following rules and orders lol. Jack's well aware of that, but he… well, we'll get to that in this chapter *Evil laugh* Hopefully you didn't see anything out of place there. And ah, I understand now! I've never played Dragon Age, but it looks like I just might have to pick up the second one now hehe. You don't think anyone is out of character, do you? I'm getting all self-conscious, especially since this chapter doesn't follow the campaign.. Seriously, let me know! Here's chapter six! Definitely let me know what you think of this one, I'm very interested to hear your thoughts (;**

**PFC. Awesomeness: Yes, I already know you're shipping them hard lol. Speakin of, I still gotta come up with ship names x.x Got any ideas? As per your lovely request, I am gonna start doing non-campaign chapters regularly (hopefully). I don't want the story to stray too far away from the campaign, though, so I think the extra chapters will be kept to a minimum. You really think so?! /.\ Aha, buckle up then, because this chapter is about to get crazy with fangirl feels, jaw-dropping moments, and all that fun stuff. Secrets will be revealed, things will be said, bonds will be tested— it's all so exciting! I hope this chapter meets your expectations! Thanks for understanding; life is such a bitch sometimes. Like come onnnnn, I just wanna write this storyyy! But no, tons of shit has to happen and get in the way and ugh. I think this is pretty good though, it's only been like a week since chapter five. On my other story, I used to go **_**MONTHS **_**without updating. Yeah, those were dark times lol. Let's just hope that doesn't happen with this story (which I doubt it will, but hoping never killed anyone)! Wow, I got sidetracked. Enjoy the chapter! (:**

**Embemxrabbit: Awh well it was my pleasure (: haha. I'm happy you like the replying this way; I always figured people would get pissed that they have to scroll through the long ass replies and author's notes before the actual chapter, but you've proven me wrong. Hehehehe I'm excited that you brought this up. While I agree that Gideon is just stubborn and doesn't wanna act on his strange human feelings, I also believe that he knows he's a fine piece of ass, and isn't afraid to let others know too. He strikes me as the type to go after what he wants and do whatever it takes to get it, as long as his morals don't get in the way (HINT HINT HINT HINT HINT HIIIIIIINNNNTTTTTTTT). From what I've seen in the campaign, he sticks pretty close to his beliefs and ideals. That also will play a part in the story, later on. But that's enough of that! Ugh, I know right! If I had a Jack, I'd never ask for anything or complain ever again! He's just so shy and sweet and adorable and freaking HOT OHMYGOD. Ahem. I'm thrilled you picked up on that! It means I'm actually doing something right, for once lol. Ah I know you didn't mean that, but I just can't help but feel that way. Soooo I'm changing it up a little. I mean, Ilona is legitimately the only chick in the campaign and she doesn't flirt with all the guys— Sam's gonna be following her example. And thank you! Homework is honestly the worst. Well, it's the second worst thing ever. The first worst thing ever is not being able to update daily like I really want to! But anyway, I hope you like this non-campaign chapter! (: Be sure to let me know what you think!**

**Kirabaros: I'm glad you think so! It'll be very interesting to see how the whole thing plays out. Just let me clarify: Jack and Sam have been friends for a while, but definitely not their whole lives. It's difficult to figure out how long Jack and Will knew each other in the campaign, but since Jack mentions he joined the Marines with Will, it's safe to say that they knew each other back in America. It's also safe to say they weren't friends very long before joining, since Jack only met Will's father after Will's death. I'd imagine they would've at least crossed paths at one point if Will and Jack had been best friends in, say, school or something. But since there's a 6-year age gap between the two, knowing each other from school is unlikely. That last part could just be because Will and Jonathan weren't on good terms, though. I'd say Sam and Jack have known each other for a handful of years— 4 or 5, perhaps? Hope this clears some stuff up for you! If not, well, whatever lol. Thank you! Sometimes I feel like it gets a little boring writing from her perspective; I hope that isn't the case. Thanks for the feedback and enjoy this chapter!**

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Happy MLK Jr. Day! If that's what day today actually is…I don't know. The days have kinda been blurring together. All I know is I have off today and that gives me plenty of time to crank out this chapter. Good news! Here's chapter six! Only one week behind schedule! *Facepalm* How've you guys been? Good, I hope? Second semester officially starts tomorrow, so I'd imagine everything is gonna be slow, homework-wise. Well, it better be. If it isn't, pray for chapter seven to come out this upcoming weekend. Soooo, I recently discovered something freaking MINDBLOWING AND COMPLETELY PLOT-ALTERING— Gideon is in fact 29 in the year 2054. Fuckin' COD Wikia messed up and said Gideon was born in 2015, not 2025. So Gideon is actually a decade younger than what I thought he was. This definitely changes things. Sam is 4 years younger than Gideon now and Jack is only 2 years younger. I'm not sure why it's such a big deal for me to keep this all straight in my head, but whatever. Nothing against age gaps, but…ugh, nevermind. Next chapter we're jumping back into the campaign, because I'm an uncreative unimaginative dumb piece of shit. Hopefully none of you mind. I'm very excited and impatient to get to the climax. IT'S GONNA BE SO MUCH FUN WHEN WE FINALLY GET THERE OMG I CAN'T WAIT! Aaaaanywho, thank you all who have reviewed, followed, favorited, and just checked this story out. We wouldn't be on chapter six if it wasn't for you guys, so thanks again! *Hugs and throws chocolate* On that note, on to chapter six!<strong>

**P.S: I've been going over the previous chapters and just fixing any mistakes and spelling errors I've noticed. Nothing drastic has been changed, so nobody needs to go back and reread anything (unless you want to. And if you do, by all means, go reread the shit). Oh, and Sam and I share the same birthday! Yay for lack of creativity! Also, try to not have heart attacks while reading this chapter. Excited to see what your guys' reaction is to this. So be sure to review and let me know!**

**Side Note: This is more for me so I can keep everything straight, but I'll put it here anyways. In 2054, Gideon is 29, Jack is 27, and Ilona and Sam are 25. Joker's age is unknown, but I'm guessing he's in his late-twenties/early-thirties, with Jack. It's kind of confusing because of the fact that the Advanced Warfare campaign stretches across a number of years, but hopefully this clears up the confusion. ****_Thanks to Call of Duty Wikia for being the real MVP and helping me with all the facts and dates and little things. I'd be nowhere without you!_**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC, Samantha Irons. Everything/everyone else belongs to Sledgehammer Games, Activision, High Moon, Raven, and anyone else I missed. All rights go to their respective owners; I'm writing this purely for entertainment.**

**Warning: The following chapters contain spoilers for the game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Read at your own discretion.**

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><p><strong>May 13<strong>**th****, 2055**

The weeks after the disaster in Seattle pass by in a blur. I go through the motions, not really settling down. If I stop, I'll start thinking. Thinking is something I really don't want to do. Carter's death hit us all hard, but I think it was the worst for Jay. I think he blames himself for loosing Carter in the chaos. Gideon and Jack have reassured him dozens of times that it isn't his fault, but the stubborn porcupine won't hear any of it. Not that I blame him. Flexing my shoulders, I pause for a moment to regain my breath. Pressing my sweaty forehead to the punching bag, I ignore the buzzing of my phone.

It really isn't fair that I'm ignoring my best friend, but what else can I do? Straightening, I pull myself into the proper stance and begin to punch the bag. The music blasting through the speakers in the weight room is heavy— it helps drown out my thoughts and the chatter of those around me. Will always said I have a shitty way of dealing with my problems. _It'd be much easier if I could just shoot my way past everything, _I huff to myself. A light smack on my good shoulder informs me that Jay has finally arrived. Late, as usual.

"Thought you stood me up," I nod to my companion, continuing with my assault.

Joker drops his bag by a nearby bench beside my stuff before coming over. "Wouldn't dare stand up a pretty thing like you," he grins cheekily.

"You really think I'm pretty?" I ask sarcastically, giving the bag a high kick.

He clicks his tongue, choosing not to respond. "Saw the boss on the way over. He misses ya."

My arms instantly drop to my sides. I watch the bag swing slightly for a moment before turning my gaze to Jay. He's wrapping up his hands, ignoring my piercing stare. "Why?" I question. "I do live down the hallway— surely he hasn't forgotten?"

Jay meets my gaze. "Same could be said for you, doll."

Huffing in annoyance, I push the fallen strands out of my eyes. "What are you doing, Jay?"

"Nothin'," he says immediately, holding up his palms. "Don't kill the messenger."

I raise a brow. "What's the message?"

Across the room, the door opens and I notice Jack and Torres enter. _Fuck. _"Don't pretend there isn't somethin' goin' on between you and the boss, Sam," Joker answers. His back is to the door, so he doesn't see what I do. Tearing my eyes from Jack, I turn back to the bag and begin to punch a little harder than necessary. The list of things Jack and I need to talk about is still fresh in my mind, I'm just not ready to have that discussion. Feelings and personal things have never really been my strong suit.

"What do you know?" I hiss, suddenly irritated at Joker's reminder. Yes, there most certainly _is _something going on. No way I'm gonna find out what it is, though. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the spiky haired bastard smirk. It's a smirk that says he knows _everything. _That look sends me over the edge and I turn suddenly, tackling him. Because I caught him off-guard, we tumble to the floor. Quickly pinning the heavier man in a choke hold, I frown. "What do you know?" I ask seriously this time.

Before I get my answer, Jay flips me over and I land hard on my back. Rolling out of the way quickly, I dodge his sloppy movements. We jump to our feet and I raise my fists, not about to let this go. "What do you want me to say, Sam?" Joker whines, slowly approaching me with his hands up in surrender.

"I want you to tell me what you know," I repeat, eyes narrow. When he's close enough, I strike at his face. He must have anticipated my movements, because he quickly deflects the blow and grabs my arm. Bringing my knee up, I let the hard surface connect with his stomach. My arm is instantly released as Joker doubles over, clutching his middle. I circle around him slowly, ignoring the gazes of the others in the room. A quick kick to the back of the knee has Jay on his knees. "Gonna talk now?" I glare at the man across from me.

He pants and looks up at me. _Wounded his pride, no doubt. _Suddenly his lips split into a grin and he jumps up to his feet. "I'll tell you what you wanna know and you don't go all assassin on me anymore. Deal?"

With an eyeroll, I shake his outstretched hand. "Start talking."

Jay sits on the bench and takes a long drink of water before answering. While I wait, I go back over to my punching bag and start up again. "It's no secret the boss has a thing for ya," Joker starts. My eyes dart around the immediate area quickly, but no one is within earshot. Besides, the deafening music helps. With Jay only a few feet away, I'm the only one who can hear his words. _Wait, what? _My brain does a complete 180 and I look at Joker to make sure he's being serious. When I'm satisfied with what I see, I continue punching. "I remember him talkin' bout this 'pretty broad' the day he got back from Seoul. This thing doesn't happen often, so you can imagine our curiosity."

"Keep talking," I huff when Jay goes quiet. _Gideon thinks I'm pretty? _I mentally smack myself. _That isn't important._

"Then you show up here and Gideon just goes bonkers. I ain't ever seen him so happy," Joker continues, laughing at the memory. I shake the shiver that runs down my spine at his words. _Don't react to this, just take it all in and shove it into a drawer for later. _"It's pretty damn funny, actually. I've known him for ten years and never once have I seen him like this. He's all over the place." He laughs again.

"What do you mean?" I ask, pushing my hair out of my face again. My eyes dart around and land on Jack, who's using the weight press bench. Torres stands over him as his spotter and his eyes meet mine. The dark-skinned man nods and smiles in greeting. I respond by putting a finger to my lips and shaking my head. Thankfully he gets the message and doesn't give me away. I need to hear the rest of this story first.

Jay nudges me aside and we trade places. Pulling out my water bottle, I take a break while I watch Joker expectantly. "First the boss is happy, then a second later he's angry, then he's jealous. Get the idea?" I nod and he continues. "Wish I could've recorded him knockin' Mitchell on his ass; that was priceless."

"You're not making any sense, Joker," I sigh. _It makes perfect sense, _a voice corrects. _You just don't want to admit it._

Joker hits the bag a few more times before stopping. He sits beside me and stares straight ahead. "I'm surprised I haven't taken a couple hits to the face," he laughs. "Better stop pushing my luck."

"Can you stop and just speak plainly?" I growl, getting annoyed quickly.

Jay shoves me playfully; something that makes me want to "playfully" beat his ass. "Alright doll, calm down. I've been messin' with ya to get at the boss. Guess he's only put up with it for so long cause he'd rather have me do it instead of Mitchell."

I understand what he's saying and it's almost like a few puzzle pieces click together. "Wait, you really don't love me?" I ask in a hurt tone, though my expression remains annoyed.

Jay grins as he grabs his bag. "You know I do, doll. But I think I've done my part."

"Your part?" I ask in confusion, watching him curiously.

He nods. "The boss can't lie to himself anymore. And now that I've talked to you, you can't either."

Raising a brow, I frown. "Someone might think you're trying to play matchmaker." Instead of responding, Jay winks. Just like that, he's gone. Did that fucker only meet me here to dump all this information onto me?

With a sigh, I shake my head. Crossing the weight room, I join Jack and Torres. _Why the hell not, might as well get it over with. _Torres says something about meeting up with Joker and I nearly see red. _Fucking idiot set this up. _The man can sense my anger and quickly runs for the hills. Jack sets the bar on its stand and he looks up at me. "You've been avoiding me," he states, blue eyes curious and hurt. _Fuck me,_ I groan mentally, wishing I could slap myself.

"Yeah," I mumble, sitting on the unoccupied bench beside him.

Jack mirrors my position and we sit facing each other, though I stare at my hands instead of meeting his gaze. "Wanna tell me why, Sammy?"

"It's completely my fault," I begin, glancing up for a brief moment. "I'm a complete bitch. You didn't deserve that and I'm sorry."

Jack leans over and his fingers wrap around my smaller hand. "Hey," he calls. When I look up, he continues. "I understand and forgive you. You need your space, I get that." A chuckle escapes his lips and he shakes his head. "This is a lot to take in, huh? Kind of overwhelming."

"You've no idea," I mumble.

If Jack heard, he doesn't comment on it. "I think I know why you've been avoiding me," he says offhandedly. I raise a brow and he goes on. "You don't really wanna talk about everything."

Ducking my head, I stare at our hands. "You wouldn't exactly be wrong." I look up again, determined. "But it needs to happen. We need to be here for each other. No secrets, no hiding anything."

Jack nods slowly, eyes searching mine. "If that's what you want."

I nod firmly, standing. "It is. I've been holding everything in and I have a feeling you have been, too." Pulling the taller man to his feet, I smile. "I missed you, Jack," I sigh as my arms wrap around him. He hugs me back. "I'll never let this happen again, I promise."

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><p>After showering and eating a quick lunch, we head back to my room, since Jack insists that we avoid his. He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly and explained vaguely that it "isn't in a good state" right now. Knowing how messy he can be, I smile and welcome him into my considerably cleaner living space. "Where do we start?" I sigh, sitting on the bed.<p>

Jack takes a seat at my table, soda in hand. "Seoul," he nods firmly. My breath catches in my throat and I look down. "We need to talk about this Sammy."

"I know," I whisper. Looking up, I smile sadly at him. "I promised Will I'd take care of you, and I intend to keep that promise. Just… tell me everything." And tell me everything he does. How he felt in Seoul, how he blamed himself for Will's death, how he tried to cope with the pain.

We talk like we did the last time, but with no details spared. Just as I did with Jay in the weight room, I sit patiently, detached, emotionless. Eventually Jack's words slur together and he begins mumbling to himself. "Jack," I whisper, lip trembling. He's a mess. His dark curly hair is mussed from his fingers repeatedly running through it, and his eyes can't stay focused. "Jack!" I stand and pull him to the bed, trying not to cry.

"It's my fault, Sammy, my fault," my best friend sobs against my shoulder. He shakes and cries and all I can do is hold him and try not to break down. "I shouldn't have let him do it."

_Will would know what to say, _I curse myself silently. "Jack Mitchell, it was _not _your fault. Will pushed you off the plane so you wouldn't die too. He wanted you to live. You need to be strong." Unsure of what to do, I stroke Jack's hair and look up at the ceiling. _It's time to fess up. _"You know, when I was three, I promised my parents that I'd always protect and help Will. I promised that I'd always be with him and that'd I'd be there for him no matter what. I broke that promise. I let Will, my father, my mother and myself down. The guilt is unbelievable and it hurts just to breathe sometimes." A bitter chuckle escapes my lips. "But hey, at least I haven't gotten the whole team killed or anything. No big deal."

Apparently my words upset Jack, because he presses his palms to my cheeks. I don't realize I'm crying until he gently wipes the tears away. "No one is holding you responsible for that," he says with a shaky voice, eyes searching mine. "It wasn't your fault."

Putting a hand over his, I sniff. "If it wasn't mine, then it definitely wasn't yours." Jack lets out a shaky breath and rests his forehead against my shoulder. I can feel his uneven breathing as he tries to stop the crying. "Let's make a deal. I won't blame myself anymore and you won't either."

After a few silent moments, Jack nods. "Deal," he whispers.

"Good." I pull him into a hug and squeeze my eyes shut. _Now I need to stand by this. No more blaming myself. _A voice in my head protests instantly. _It _is _your fault! You let them all down. _Before I can stop myself, I'm spiraling down again. Jack's voice pulls me from the darkness and I watch my best friend. _You can do this, Sam. Do it for Jack._

He lets out a small laugh. "Now that that's out of the way…"

Untangling myself from my best friend, I stand and grab a soda from the mini fridge. _On to the next thing. _"We can talk about my father," I finish.

"What about him?" Jack asks, sadness long gone, though I can still see in his posture and eyes that it isn't about to leave any time soon. But for now, it's gone.

I sigh, unsure of where to begin. "He's always been cold and difficult with emotions." Struggling with the words, I exhale sharply. "I don't even know how to say this."

"Just say the first thing that comes to mind," Jack suggests, leaning forward eagerly.

Biting my lip, I pause. _He asked for it. _"I think he's replacing Will with you." From a couple feet away, I hear Jack's quick intake as if I'm right beside him. "It's always been there— my father never really was satisfied with Will. He wanted a strong, obedient son. Someone who could carry out his work after he died…" Pushing my hair behind my ear, I sigh. "They never got along. Who could blame Will for leaving? My father was always pushing and pushing…" I trail off, staring at the floor. Jack watches me silently. Realizing there's nothing he can say right now, I go on. "I never spoke up against dad. That was always Will's job. He said what I couldn't. Don't get me wrong," I shake my head, sipping the soda. "I love my father, but he isn't the world's greatest dad."

"Before we left for Seattle, remember? My father came in and started talking about soldiers and sons and all I could think about was how he finally got what he wanted. He got obedient, faithful soldiers. He got you." Shaking my head, I twist the bottle around. "He has Gideon and Joker and you and an army of perfect followers. He doesn't need Will anymore." Under my breath, I add, "he doesn't need me."

Jack kneels down in front of me, bright eyes pleading with me. "Hey, listen, your dad loves you and he loves Will. Anyone can see that. If he didn't, why are you here?"

"Because I need to prove to him that I can do this."

I watch as his brows crinkle in confusion. "You're trying to live up to his expectations." It isn't a question. My hesitant nod confirms his suspicions and he sighs. "Sammy, you don't need to prove anything to anyone." He pulls me into another hug. "You're perfect the way you are, okay? Don't let anyone change you into something you're not."

Laughing, I shake my head. "I was born to do this. I grew up following orders and performing to the best of my abilities. It's second nature at this point."

Jack sits back down on the bed and runs a hand through his hair. "Speaking of orders…" His tone has me stiffen and I get the feeling I'm not gonna like this next part. "What's up with Gideon?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, feigning innocence. Taking a sip of the nearly-empty soda can, I busy myself.

The brunette shrugs. "I don't know. He just seems different. Guess I don't really have anything to compare it to, though." Seeing my confused look, he shrugs again. "He's pretty moody."

"And bipolar?" I add helpfully. He nods, repeating my words. I smile a little, remembering how I said the same thing to his face right… _right before he kissed me. _Shouldn't this be something I come clean about to my best friend? No more secrets? Gulping nervously, I play with my fingers. _There's nothing to come clean about._

"Miss Irons," Narrator interrupts. "Ilona has requested your presence in the conference room. Immediately."

Jack and I exchange a look. "Better go see what she's up to," I sigh, standing. "It was, uh, nice to talk to you about all this."

The man nods. "Is it just me, or is it a little easier to breathe?"

Pausing for a moment, I analyze myself. "Yeah, I feel it too," I decide after a moment. "Maybe it _is _better to talk about it instead of letting everything build up."

"I'll remember that next time," Jack smiles as he exits my room. I follow behind him, a smile of my own on my lips.

"So will I." We hug and go our separate ways. I don't see my best friend again for another four years.

* * *

><p><strong>Three years later<strong>

**August 3****rd****, 2058**

"Happy birthday to me," I smirk as the Warbird lands. _Home at last. _These past few years have been spent relentlessly tracking any leads on the KVA or Hades. Ilona and I have been doing a lot of undercover work, getting a hold of anything valuable. Though our findings aren't much, any little bit helps. The world is slowly falling apart at the hands of the terrorist, but Atlas steps in when needed. We're on our way to becoming the largest PMC in the world. Pride bubbles up in chest at the thought.

Ilona looks at me curiously. "Birthday, huh? Learn something new every day." We follow a couple other Atlas members into the hangar and begin handing over our weapons and grenades. "We should celebrate."

I scoff. "What's there to celebrate? 29 is hardly an important number."

The Russian chuckles as she pulls off her armor. "Don't be such a killjoy. Let's hit the showers then see if any of the boys are here. Maybe they'll be at dinner."

"Lead the way," I gesture with an arm sweep. My heart begins racing at her words. _Oh, Jack, how I've missed you, _I whine mentally. I'd be lying to myself if I didn't say I really miss Gideon, Jay, and Torres as well. _Eh, maybe just Jack and Gideon, _I smirk to myself. After getting the ok to leave, Ilona and I head over to our building. "It's been awhile," I comment, looking around the bright base. Who would've thought I'd complete my training at the top of my class and go on missions around the world to fight bad guys? _Will would be proud. _I shake off the sadness that threatens to leak its way into my brain.

Ilona and I part ways after the trip to the showers. Holding a breath, I swipe the worn keycard and step inside. My room is just the way I left it three years ago. Everything is in order and where it should be. But upon further inspection, I find that the bed sheets are crumbled and slightly messed up, as if someone was in a hurry to put them back. Frowning, I ask Narrator if anyone had been in my room since I left. "Of course, Miss Irons. Mr. Irons stopped by once or twice to see if you were home. I informed him that you would not be returning until this evening."

"When was that?" I ask as I toss my bag onto the bed.

"Two years ago, ma'am."

Sighing, I rub my eyes. "Right. Anyone else drop in?"

"Only Mitchell and Captain Gideon, ma'am," Narrator replies. My eyes widen. When asked to elaborate, the computer explains that just after I left, Jack came in search of me, where he was then informed that I had left on very short notice. "Captain Gideon has requested I stay silent."

Putting a hand on my hip, I frown. "Requested?" I repeat. "That doesn't sound like an order to me. Why was he here?"

"Perhaps it would be better to ask the man himself, Miss Irons."

Growling, I throw my hands up, complaining about computers and confusing men. "Is Jack Mitchell anywhere on base right now?" I ask, pulling on a clean pair of undergarments.

"He does not appear to be, ma'am. He and Joker have been in Britain these past few days, out on a mission." Tugging a tank top over my head, I bite my lip. Guess I won't be seeing my best friend any time soon. "Miss Irons, you have received a message."

"Who's it from?" I ask as I pull on some pants and grab a soda.

The computer takes a moment to respond. "Ilona. Shall I play the message?" When I confirm the request, Ilona's voice comes on over the speakers. "_Sorry Sam, looks like the reunion is being cut short. We've got to go back out there tomorrow morning. Chopper leaves at 4 a.m. Don't be late._" A frown tugs at my lips when I hear her words. We just got back after three years, now we're being shipped out again?

"Let her know I'll be there, please," I groan as I fall back against the sheets. Kicking my bag off the bed, I curl up and look around the small dimly lit room. It feels incredibly good to sleep in my own bed again. The window is set to open, so I can see the work continuing on throughout the night. People come and go, leaving for missions and returning from them. They go where they're needed, without a second thought. They're all so sure of themselves, so sure they can make a difference. Life at Atlas is truly a unique experience, as I once told Ilona. There's nothing quite like being able to see the world with a gun strapped to your back and an Exo clinging to your frame.

My thoughts are interrupted abruptly when there's a knock on the door. Rubbing my eyes, I yawn and stand. Taking a quick glance in the mirror, I decide I look presentable enough, so I open the door. _I take that back, _I think as soon as I see who's standing just outside.

Gideon leans against the frame, clad in civilian attire and missing his beanie. When he sees my shocked expression, he chuckles. "Hello to you, too, Sam."

"Hey," I mumble, still trying to cope with the sudden appearance. I never knew just how much I missed him until 30 seconds ago. "Long time no see."

The Brit nods. "It's been a while," he agrees. His voice sends a shiver down my spine. "You gonna invite me in or should I leave?" Gideon asks, eyes searching mine. When I hear the last part of his question, I quickly protest.

"No, no, it's fine. Come on in, I guess." I move aside so he can pass. "I need to leave early tomorrow; Ilona and I are being deployed again." I close the door and turn to face the Brit, gasping a little when I see him standing directly in front of me.

Suddenly I'm pressed up against the wall and his mouth is at my throat. A moan escapes my lips and I blush. As Gideon's hands skim quickly over my body, mine go to his soft hair. "I've missed you," the Brit whispers huskily against my throat.

"Really? I couldn't tell," I answer breathlessly. He laughs at my sarcasm and lets me pull his lips up to mine. Slim fingers hook under my thigh, making me moan again when I'm pulled against him. Before I know it, I'm tugging his shirt off. _Easy there, killer, _a voice mocks in my head. That same voice whistles as it takes in the newly revealed skin. _Nevermind, go for it. _And go for it I do. My fingers trace every inch of Gideon's built chest as he slips a hand under my top.

When it gets too difficult to handle, I push the Brit off me. He stumbles back, eyes questioning. I say nothing, pulling my own shirt over my head. Our lips lock as we back up, unable to cope with being apart. When he hits the bed, Gideon pulls me with him. For a moment, I straddle him, but that's quickly changed when he flips us over. I bite my lip as he moves to my exposed stomach. "What's this?" He asks lowly, gently rubbing his lips over the scar.

"Stab wound from a year ago," I breathe in reply, shivering when he kisses the reminder. It's my turn to flip us over, and I take my time tasting every inch of his sculpted body. I smirk when I feel him shudder underneath me. My lips ghost over his tattoos and when I finally reach the waistband of his pants, I pause. Looking down, I meet the Brit's gaze. "Is this really what you want?" I ask in confirmation.

The lust and desire in his eyes gives me the answer I'm looking for, but he vocalizes his thoughts anyway. "More than anything, love." I nod, about to continue on, when he stops me. I start to complain, but he sits up and locks our lips, silencing me. Sitting on his lap, I grin. Why had I denied and fought this for so long?

Fingers caress my skin and I shiver when they undo the clasp of my bra. The article of clothing is tossed away, the rest of our clothes quickly following. The next few hours are spent fighting for dominance and control, but never before have I experienced something so passionate and lovely. Our actions say what words cannot; they convey feelings that we can't find the words to describe. And for those blissful, perfect few hours, I have no worries, no problems. I have no doubts or second thoughts. I don't think about how I'll have to leave again in the morning, or what will happen when this is over. I don't even pause to question what will happen to _us _after this. Somewhere during those few hours, three words are whispered. Three life changing, altering, meaningful words. He whispers them so surely, as if he's never said anything more true in his life. As I meet his lips with mine, I smile, effortlessly repeating those three loaded words. They fall so easily from our lips, we never even consider if the other really means them. It is said that actions speak louder than words, and I found this to be true. For someone who is quite squeamish about emotions and feelings, I find myself being immersed in them.

Gideon and I had crossed an unmarked line, but we could care less at this point. We have each other, and that's all that matters.

"Happy birthday," Gideon whispers in my ear just before I drift off to sleep. Happy birthday, indeed.

* * *

><p><strong>August 4<strong>**th****, 2058**

Waking up the next morning is difficult. The consequences of my actions hit me like a truck and for a moment I struggle to gain control over them all. My eyes open but I remain quiet for a while, unwilling to break the peaceful silence. One of Gideon's muscular arms is wrapped around me, while the other is propping his head up. Breathing in deeply, I look up from his chest to see him already awake. "Wish I could wake up like this every morning," I sigh, snuggling further in to his side.

"You read my mind," Gideon grins, stroking my hair. "Guess we'll have to make that a reality, won't we?" I smile, humming in agreement. We lay there in silence, completely content. "It's almost 3:30," he mumbles, sighing.

My arms tighten around him. "I don't want to leave." The Brit laughs, the movement vibrating his chest. We fall back into a comfortable silence for a few minutes before I open my mouth and voice my concerns. "Gideon?" I ask, making sure he's still awake.

"Yes?" He replies instantly, confirming my suspicions. His fingers in my hair make me lose my train of thought. Biting my lip, I hesitate. Should I really go there? "What's up, Sam?" Gideon asks, concern lacing his tone.

_Why not, you already fucked him. _"What happens now?" I ask in a rush, going still as I wait for an answer.

"What do you mean?" The Brit asks casually and I can feel his gaze on me. Bad idea.

Sighing, I squeeze my eyes closed. "With us? What happens now?"

Gideon's silence just makes me worry even more. When he doesn't respond for a good few minutes, I shift and look up at him. His bright eyes are staring ahead, his expression telling me he's deep in thought. After a moment, his eyes meet mine and he smirks. "Right now, I'm gonna make the most of remaining time together."

I huff in annoyance, not happy that he avoided the question. "How do you plan to do that?" I grumble, frowning at him. Gideon leans forward, closing the distance between us. His lips press against mine and my eyes unwillingly fall shut.

"I can think of a few things," he smirks before rolling onto me. Even though my questions are still unanswered, I don't mind hovering in whatever _this _is, for the time being. _Oh my God, I definitely do not mind, _I grin to myself as I bite his lower lip. Our movements are just a fraction of what they were the night before, but still, they hold meaning and purpose. It's almost as if this cements last night, confirming that it wasn't just a dream. This is reality, and I love every second of it.


End file.
